Homeward Bound
by Midnight Minute
Summary: When Petra is told that her father demands she return home for good, it seems nothing can be done to prevent her sudden and unwanted departure from Levi's squad. She is all but prepared to leave when the Captain presents her with a single viable option: "Marry me, Petra." Just because they were technically married, didn't mean they had to be in an actual, real relationship...Right?
1. The One with the Bet

Hello everyone! Midnight here, alive and kicking!

Hope your holidays and festivities have treated you well! I am back with another line up of character arcs and circumstances that have kept me up and writing late into the night on many instances, so here I am again with more to add to my collection! This piece is one I've been working on for a while – as I look at my word count now I've written over 60k (edited) words so I'll give you the fair warning, you may be in it for the long haul with me!

For those who are new, welcome to my humble fan fiction! I hope you enjoy the read and stick around for the next chapter!

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"Petra," the Captain's voice echoed across the arena, "Move southwest at ten degrees, team up with Gunther – Omega formation!"

She looked over her shoulder toward the Captain and gave a single nod, "Right!"

Adjusting her weight across the 3DM harness, Petra shot a wire into the appropriate pole and readjusted her route, swinging upward and releasing an adequate amount of gas to propel herself forward until she was moving alongside her instructed teammate.

"Good," she heard Levi call from a distance behind her, continuing his orders, "Now Eld, Oluo, hang back 50 meters until they are in position. Petra and Gunther, move forward toward the Titan and swoop in from the right, sweep top to bottom. No fancy moves here, you're just the diversion!"

Nodding again as she looked toward Gunther, he gave her a nod and they moved in unison toward the large Titan cutout that was stationed in the training grounds, starting from a higher position in the canopy before redirecting downward in a half freefall, half swinging sort of motion that was sure to grab any Titan's attention.

Petra looked around as she flew downward in a diagonal path, noting a few scouts that were stationed on the cutout as they pulled various ropes and levers that helped move the device every which way. Her eye followed their movements as they worked together to quickly pull a series of ropes, her mind already working to figure out what part of the Titan corresponded to their actions.

Her eyes followed it to a pulley that rested right beneath her and her eyes widened as she noted the left wooden arm was starting to fly upward. If they stayed in their current path, it would snag their wires and they'd either get stuck on the arm, or plummet to the ground with little time to correct their fall.

"Gunther!" Petra yelled loudly as she looked toward him fiercely, "Redirect to the right, now!"

Hearing her sudden announcement and quickly realizing the problem as well, he nodded and reshot his wires to the right, while Petra shot herself off to the left. Even though it had taken a mere moment to get the large obstacle moving, the arm that had been intended to halt their movement swung upward and met nothing but air, falling back downward with a large creak that echoed across the grounds.

"Well done Petra." The Captain's voice called from a distance back, "Now Eld, Oluo, move down around it's legs and work upward. Focus on severing where the joints and muscle groups would be." He continued, ensuring his instructions would be heard across the vast training field, "No deep cuts today, I don't want to see any dull blades – Petra, Gunther, swing back around from the left and right sides using the neck as your anchor point. I'll go for the nape while you two climb and cut. Immobilize the whole fucking thing - I don't want those arms grabbing anyone."

Hearing the next set of instructions, Petra looked forward and hoisted herself to a nearby tree, kicking off the trunk with her feet and tucking into a slight ball to help redirect her momentum as she flipped in the air. Intentionally free falling until she was just at the left forearm – safe from any ill wishing Titan hands - Petra shot her wires straight up into the neck, finally drawing out her blades as she did so.

Taking a deep breath as she landed on the wooden sculpture, she narrowed her eyes in determination and focused strength into her legs. Running up the wooden ledge and using the gas to help push her upwards, Petra made precise cuts as she ran, ensuring that while the incisions were not deep, they were intentional and at the right places that would have successfully immobilized the arm, had it actually been a real Titan and not a mere cutout.

As she ran up and over the curb of the shoulder, she noted the Captain was mere seconds away from the base of the neck, spinning in the air to build momentum and moving down toward the nape with impressive speed. He held his blades at the ready, but held back at the last moment as he landed, merely tapping the blades onto the mound of layered fabric, instead of severing into it and lopping off the nape.

Petra gave an exhale and relaxed her stance, resting her blades at her sides. That was that then.

Levi stood up fully and looked toward Petra and Gunther, both standing on the shoulder of the structure, and then down at Eld and Oluo, who were hanging in the air from where they were anchored in the cutout's back, taking the moment to relax as they hung in the air.

He nodded once and sheathed his blades with a metallic zip, "This exercise is over. Regroup on the forest floor."

A few moments passed by as they each made their way to the ground, no real hurry in their actions as they inched their way downward. There was an unspoken understanding that the sooner they met up, the sooner they'd have to start all over again, and considering that they had been running this same sequence since dawn, no one was exactly racing to meet up with the Captain anymore.

Levi waited till his squad was fully gathered again, addressing the group and paying no mind to their obvious exhaustion, "That wasn't bad, but we've still got work to do. Petra," he addressed her directly, "You broke formation in response to the Titan's movement. What happened up there?"

He didn't appear to be angry and had even gone as far as to compliment her actions earlier, so his question wasn't intimidating to her. She gave a nod, breathing deeply as she tried to catch her breath, "Well frankly I was looking at the ropes the other Scouts were pulling, so was able to predict what was going to happen. Obviously had we stayed in our intended path, we would be wrapped around the wooden plank, or have broken a leg after falling on the ground. Had it been a real Titan, that could have ended really badly."

Levi nodded, "No, that was good, I expect you to break formation if it means keeping yourself safe, and your quick thinking protected Gunther as well so I have no complaints. My only problem is that it had to happen at all. I want you both to be able to grab the attention of the Titan so that Oluo and Eld don't have to worry about getting grabbed at when they move in, but the same goes for you too. You both need to be in and out before the Titan can get handsy or the Omega formation won't be of any use. If my backup is tied up dodging big ass Titan hands, then the entire operation is fucked."

A silence fell over the group as Levi tried to reorganize the formation in his mind, still not satisfied with the results.

Petra exhaled, willing to give her feedback on the matter if it meant they'd finish with their training any quicker, "If I may Captain, I think it takes us too long to get from point A to point B when Gunther and I move in front of the Titan. I know it's a diversion, but I think there was like a three second free fall and that's what caused the problem here. It's just too much."

She looked to Gunther, who gave a nod, acknowledging that he had a similar experience as well, "Obviously we'll do what you say, but if you are looking for suggestions, perhaps if we took a more direct path where we weren't way up in the trees, moving way down near the ground, that might cut out some of the Titan's response time where we don't have to be so on our toes about being grabbed at right out of the gate."

Levi studied her, contemplating her words for a long moment.

He gave a single nod, then looked around at the rest of his Squad, "Alright, let's try that and see if we can cut out as many vulnerable windows as possible. We'll run it again but adjust some of the angles and distances like Petra suggested. Now this time I want-"

"Levi!" a voice called from a distance. After a moment, Hanji appeared, running into the training grounds to where they stood, catching her breath for a moment after reaching her apparent destination.

"Section Leader Hanji!" the Squad acknowledged with a salute, save for Levi, who merely gave her an even stare.

She gave a slight nod to the group in acknowledgement, "At ease guys, it's just me." She turned her attention solely to the Captain, her voice hushed, "Sorry to barge in like this, but the Commander needs to speak with you."

Levi quirked a brow as he observed her, then gave a long sigh, "Fine. Give me another thirty minutes to finish up with my squad and I'll head that way." He looked back towards the group, clearly putting Hanji on the back burner, "Is everyone clear on-"

Hanji cleared her throat, "Uh, sorry Levi, but it's urgent. He sent me out here to come fetch you; it can't wait."

"Of fucking course." He gave the Scientist a pointed glare, clearly agitated by the inconvenience, "Well then, it seems like our training is done for the day. Everyone get cleaned up, we'll discuss this more over dinner."

Without further explanation, the pair walked off and the remainder of Squad Levi stood tiredly for a few moments, wasting no time in ridding themselves of the blade and gas canisters strapped around their legs the second their Captain was out of sight.

Eld plopped onto the ground in a heap, sitting beside his blades and adjusting his disheveled hair back into a ponytail, "Thank the goddess' for Hanji – I thought he was going to run us until sunset!"

Gunther gave a nod of agreement and also chose to move to the ground, his chest heaving from exhaustion, "We've been doing this for _days_. Either the Captain is just going to have to accept the fact that there is no such thing as the perfect formation, or we're going to dig ourselves an early grave by working sun up to sundown every day like this. I'm beat."

Petra walked over to the edge of the grounds a few feet away, grabbing her water bottle and drinking from it greedily, then opened the lid and dumped the entire remaining amount over her head in attempts to cool off.

The guys watched her for a moment, then Eld groaned loudly. They had had this conversation with her before, but stubborn as ever…

"Petra. You know that when you do that your shirt is pretty well see through, right?" Eld scolded, giving her a disapproving glare as her now clear shirt began to cling to her damp skin, "You really shouldn't do that out in the open like this, it's not decent."

"That's why I'm wearing my _black _sports bra. I've worked out in just this same sports bra before and it wasn't a big deal, I don't know why you guys make such a fuss about seeing it now." Petra retorted casually, gathering her hair in her hands and tying it out of her face in a messy bun. She looked back to her team, grabbing a canteen, "Now catch, I don't want any of you passing out from dehydration - I'm not hauling your limp bodies back to the compound, that's for damn sure."

One by one she tossed her team's water canteens toward them, each seeming to forget Petra's wardrobe when presented with desperately needed water.

She rejoined her team, each enjoying the new-found down time that was presented to them. Considering the Captain was gone and dinner wasn't for a few more hours, there was no immediate rush or task at hand that required attention.

"What do you think the big emergency is?" Oluo asked after a few moments of silence, a question that all of them were secretly pondering.

Eld grinned bemusedly, "Five bucks says the Captain's behind on his paperwork again so now the Commander's going to chew him out. Must be really bad if he sent Hanji after him, like some sort of bounty hunter."

Gunther smirked toward him, "Five bucks? I'll take you up on that. Petra, you in? Sounds like easy cash to me. There could be a number of reasons why Levi's getting called away like this. I think our odds are pretty good."

Petra shrugged, "I don't know. Is it something bad you think? I mean, Hanji looked pretty worried to me. Did something happen?"

Oluo shrugged, "Beats me. I'll take you up on that bet though."

Eld frowned, "Wait so if I'm wrong then I have to pay ten?"

"Yeah, but if you won, you'd get a full ten back. That's quite a generous return rate."

"Fine. We'll shake on it." Eld agreed, "Petra! You're the official witness then, make sure these two dead weights pay up when the time comes!" The three males on her team all gave a high-five sort of shake, looking at her squarely for confirmation of their deal.

She rolled her eyes, "A bet? If you want you three can settle this over dinner to find out what the big emergency is - But this is _your_ guy's idea. I don't want to be the one pissing the Captain off with these nosy questions, so you're on your own with beating it out of him."

Gunther stood up, "No problem with that. Let's all go ahead and start putting our gear away then get freshened up for dinner. I don't want to keep my earnings waiting too long. Besides, the Captain won't be pleased if we're still a mess from training after all the off time we were given. I'll take care of the gas canisters."

"Right. I'll store the blades away, anyone need to send any blades off for replacement or sharpening?" Petra offered, standing up and dusting off her rear as she moved towards the pile of the discarded weaponry.

Eld cleared his throat, "_I'll_ take care of the blades, Petra. You just go get inside. Perhaps _we're_ used to seeing you like that, but I assure you most of the Scout's aren't, and I speak for all of us when I say that we don't want you parading around the regiment like that."

Petra rolled her eyes, "You guys are being so old fashioned, I'm not the only female soldier to dress like this. It's fine."

Gunther picked up the gas canisters, grunting as he stood back up and glaring at Petra in irritation, "Stop being stubborn and just go get ready for dinner, we've got it covered here."

Hours had passed by since the previous abrupt end to training and the group had since reconvened, moved toward the mess hall while making light chatter about the day, bits of gossip that had filtered down the ranks, as well as how much they were each dreading this upcoming discussion about the much-hated Omega formation that Levi had promised earlier.

They had made it through the line of the mess hall, expecting to see the Captain or that he would be ushering them to hurry and scarf down their meal so they could get down to business more quickly, but to their surprise, he had yet to make an appearance.

"Looks like we dodged a bullet," Oluo stated as he took a seat at the table, the rest of the squad sitting in their traditional spots, "We got all the way through the dinner line and back to the compound without so much as a_ sighting_ of the Captain. Looks like we won't be having that talk about the Omega formation after all."

Eld grabbed his dinner roll, smirking before taking a large bite from it, "You're just happy he's not here because you know you'd have to pay up. The fact that he's late like this only proves my point. Everyone knows its nearing the time of year that Officers have to refill their orders on weapons and supplies. Wake up and smell the coffee, Levi has _never_ made that deadline, so that's clearly what this is all about. It's obvious."

"I still don't think so," Oluo negated, "And until the Captain confirms it with his own mouth, I'm not paying you shit. Oi, pass me the salt; this pasta is bland as _fuck._"

"But he's not here to confirm or deny it," Gunther pointed out as he slid the salt container across the table toward Oluo, "Bummer, since I was really looking forward to the look on Eld's face after being proven wrong. He thinks he knows everything just because he's a higher rank than us."

Petra grabbed her spoon, pointing at her squad mates with it for a second before getting started on her soup, "Well _I_ say it serves you all right for making such a stupid bet in the first place. If he's not here then I guess we'll never know. Let's just count our blessings that Hanji showed up when she did and mind our own business; if we need to know he'll tell us."

Eld quirked an eyebrow, grinning widely at Petra, "Oh? You're not the _least_ bit curious as to what that whole thing was about today?"

"No I'm not." Petra stated indignantly, "Levi is our Captain, so obviously has different responsibilities and details he has to see to that we don't. Even if it _is_ the paperwork, it's not our problem and I don't think he'd appreciate us laughing about it at his expense. Besides, we've got enough of our own problems to work through as it is, considering Captain's been stuck on this formation for so long now. One would _think_ you'd put all this energy into patching up the formation so we can finally be _done_ with it, not wasting all your time on petty bets."

Oluo groaned, "There she goes nagging again. Leave it to Petra to be the team's resident nark."

She rolled her eyes, "Shove it Oluo, I'm just saying is all. And pass the salt will ya, this_ is_ bad."

As Oluo slid the salt shaker toward Petra, the door of the Compound opened and Levi stepped inside, a tenseness falling across the room as he did so. It wasn't that he appeared angry – they were rather used to that – it was that he looked visibly…dazed? Pensive? In shock? It was difficult to get a good grasp on his current mood, and it set the room at ill-ease. He wordlessly moved toward the head of the table and sat down, carrying a cup of coffee that he sipped from occasionally.

Levi focused his attention on the surface of the table, and as the silence prolonged to the point that it was well past awkward, Petra cleared her throat, "Um Captain…it's dinner time, did you already eat?"

"Just the coffee is fine." He stated in response, still not looking up from the table as though lost in his thoughts.

Petra looked around the table toward her teammates, asking with her expression if anyone had any ideas, though they merely shrugged in response, confirming they were just as dumbfounded as she was.

Exhaling quietly, Petra returned to her dinner, trying to not let the unsettling silence get under her skin. While she had stated that she wasn't curious as to what events had happened this afternoon, she knew full well it wasn't true. Admittedly, she was probably the most curious of all her comrades, even more so after seeing the Captain like this – but not for their petty, selfish reasons.

Simple as it was, she cared for Levi – the same way she cared for_ all _her squad mates. They had all eaten their meals together, battled Titans, seen each other on their best and worst days, and while it was true that Levi preferred to keep others at a distance, the years and familiarity had caused some of those walls to weaken.

She knew his likes and dislikes, had argued with him, debated philosophy with him – neither of them immediately recognized the subtle shift that had occurred over the years – but at this point it was impossible to deny that she had somehow formed a true friendship with the skilled and moody Captain.

But…as true as that may have been, after all this time it still didn't make reading him any easier.

"Say Captain," Eld spoke up, and Petra looked toward the pair curiously as she attempted to swallow another bite of the bland meal, all but choking on it when Eld continued, "I know it's that time of year when you fill out our restock forms. You know, blades, gas tanks, extra pants and shirts – that kind of thing. How is that going?"

Petra's eyes narrowed, and she kicked him under the table in attempt to show her displeasure with his choice of conversation. While it was true she wasn't sure what kind of mood the Captain was in right now, she was beyond certain that now was _not_ the right time to bring up their unsettled wager.

Levi gave a noncommittal grunt, and Petra gave a pointed 'You see?' look to Eld, though the blonde continued, unsatisfied by the response that didn't confirm his suspicions one way or another, "Well I'm just curious if you've actually got our paperwork submitted or not yet. I know we can always borrow and exchange gas canisters with the other teams, but it's so much easier when we have our own stash. I'm just wondering, what if we have more things to add to the list?"

Petra kicked him again and Eld winced in response but gave an innocent smile as Levi finally looked up toward him.

The Captain looked inquisitive, a single eyebrow raised, "Is there something you need that is unaccounted for?"

Petra spoke quickly, trying to stop Eld before he got started, "It's _nothing_ Captain, he's just being-"

Eld gave a quick laugh, speaking over Petra so he would be heard, "Well if I did need something, is there still time or did you already submit it all to Erwin?"

Petra pressed her lips together in frustration and kicked him for the third time, causing Eld's voice to crack at the end of his question, though he again tried to play it off with a laugh and watched the Captain pointedly for an answer, all while ignoring Petra's waspish glare.

Levi wore a confused expression that bordered irritated as he observed the way too happy Eld, the suddenly angry for no reason Petra, and a disturbingly expectant Oluo and Gunther that looked as though they were hanging on his every word as they watched him with wide eyes.

Levi felt a headache coming on - it appeared that his squad was at it again, and he was the center of some…_discussion_, apparently.

He sighed, eyes narrowed as he spoke, "Alright you little shits. What is this all about?"

Eld crossed his arms and shrugged, smirking as he spoke, "Right, as if you don't know Captain. About this afternoon, we were all just curious if-"

Petra coughed as she shook her head firmly, delivering yet one more powerful kick to Eld's shin beneath the table. He gave a slight hiss from the pain, finally deciding to fall silent in fear of being attacked again; his leg successfully throbbing from the repetitive abuse.

"Petra, _why_ do you keep kicking him?" Levi asked sharply, officially irritated by his squad and their unruly behavior. He still had _no_ idea what they were going on about and the last thing he had wanted to do was deal with them when they behaved so irritably like this, "At the very least you seem to know _something_. Fucking _spill it_, what the hell is going on here?"

Petra's mouth fell open at the realization that it _somehow_ fell on her, again, and an embarrassed blush stained her cheeks. She looked to her other teammates for support, so they could come clean about their stupid bet, but they all artfully avoided her gaze as the silence prolonged.

"Well?" Levi challenged directly, watching her narrowly as he impatiently awaited her explanation.

Petra was mortified. How did it always happen like this? _Every time!_

She exhaled irritably as she tried to pick her words, deciding that if her team was just going to sell her out like this then she may as well just come clean about the whole thing.

She crossed her arms and huffed, glaring at each of them as she spoke, "Fine. They are curious as to why you got called away into Erwin's office earlier on. Eld has money down that you are behind on your paperwork and Erwin was chewing you out –that's why he's so interested in the status of those forms. Gunther and Oluo think that it's something else, so put money down on that. At the end of the day, all they want to know is what happened in Erwin's office so they can settle their bet."

A long silence followed her explanation, and all eyes focused on Levi to monitor his reaction, though he kept his response skillfully unreadable – an undeniable skill of the stoic Ackerman.

An exhale.

"What did you bet then, Petra?"

"Nothing!" she defended hotly, "I told them this whole_ thing_ was dumb - I told them we should just keep focused on perfecting the formation, but Eld wouldn't drop it and- well, here we are."

"Suck up." Oluo muttered under his breath, and Petra shot him a scathing glare that suggested just how many fucks she gave about his opinion, stopping just short of sticking her tongue out at him.

Watching this interaction, Levi pinched his nose and stood up from the table, crossing his arms and staring down at his squad pointedly, "You _seriously_ mean to tell me that while I've been working nonstop with Erwin and Hanji for the past five fucking hours without so much as a _coffee _break, you've had the entire afternoon free and chose to spend it like this?" He shook his head firmly, displeasure radiating off him in waves, "And you wonder why I never grant you free time. It's because you little shits lack _discipline!_ Show me some goddamned results, and _then_ we'll talk."

"Listen Captain it was all-"

"_Shut the fuck up_." He responded sharply, his tone lowered in a manner that confirmed he was absolutely_ done_ talking about it.

His gaze fell solely onto Petra and he cleared his throat, voice still firm. "Petra. Are you finished with your dinner?"

"What? I uh, yeah, I'm done I just…"

"Good, a word then."

With that he walked off, leaving a wide eyed and fearful Petra behind him.

Petra groaned quietly, eyeing her teammates waspishly as they watched her dumbly, none of them quite sure what to make of the Captain's scolding. It was clear he was extremely angry, but he was just walking away?

But then why Petra?

"See?" she hissed as she stood up from the table, her anger toward her teammates rivaling the Captain's, "I'm always the one taking the blame for your hairbrained schemes. Now you've gone and pissed him off!"

She stood up begrudgingly, making sure to give her teammates one last dirty glare before she caught up to the Captain.

She ran up toward him, falling in step with him after a moment, "Look Captain, I know that they can get a little judgmental and critical about these things. I mean, if it really is just the paperwork then there's no need to stress about it. We can all pitch in and help get you caught back up, it's really nothing to be ashamed of so-"

"This isn't about paperwork." Levi responded almost absentmindedly, keeping his attention forward.

"Oh…" Petra responded dumbly, falling behind for just a moment before pumping her legs to keep up with him, "So uh, what_ is_ this about then? You needed to speak with me this far away from the guys? Now I'm really worried." She gave a small chuckle in attempts to lighten the atmosphere, though Levi remained just as stoic.

"It's not me. Erwin has requested to speak with you, we're headed to his office." Levi corrected, and Petra found she didn't have a response.

They walked silently through the halls, and Petra wondered what Erwin possibly needed from her. She knew she hadn't done anything wrong, at least, nothing intentionally that would lead to trouble. Even in the event she _had_ stepped out of line somewhere, surely Levi would be the one to speak with her about it? Erwin simply wasn't needed for trivial matters like that.

So what was this all about then?

As they neared the door to the Commander's office, Levi paused in step and turned toward her directly. His expression was gravely serious.

"Petra, tell me. What does being a Scout mean to you?"

The question was so sudden, so abstract, that had it not been for the oddness of the situation and the fact there was not a trace of amusement on the Captain's face, Petra might have laughed and gave some sort of smart remark in return.

She bit the inside of her lip pensively, "Well…_everything_ Captain."

"Everything?" Levi repeated, studying her with a focused expression that was impossible to read.

Petra gave a simple nod, watching him warily. She whispered after a few moments, her anxiety increasing by the minute, "Captain, what's going on?"

Levi gave a long sigh and he turned back towards the door, "…Come on. We've got a problem."

He opened the door and walked in, and Petra cautiously followed behind him, a knot forming in the pit of her stomach. Inside the room was both the Commander and Hanji, who wore similar expressions to Levi.

Grim at best.

Levi moved into the room and stood off to the side, leaning back against a wall and crossing his arms, his gaze instantly on the ground in a manner that suggested he was just as along for the ride as she was.

"Ms. Ral," Erwin greeted, "Please have a seat."

She gave a soft nod, blood pounding in her ears as she carefully made her way into the room, pulling out one of the chairs that sat in front of his desk and sitting down softly.

Erwin looked around the room, noting the lifeless expression of his peers, and the absolutely terrified expression of Petra. He forced a pleasant smile and cleared his throat, attempting to find a good starting place, "Well, let's see…where to begin with all of this mess. Um, Petra, tell me, how is your relationship with your father?"

Petra was taken back at the question, finding it a rather odd question to say the least. She didn't see what her father could possibly have to do with anything, unless…

She rose to her feet, hands over her mouth, "Oh gods, what happened? Is he sick? Did he…he couldn't have…"

Erwin quickly corrected himself, holding his hands up to try to calm her, "Oh heavens, no. Petra, my apologies, he's fine. We haven't received any word of health problems or anything of the sort, so please, sit down." He stole a glance toward Levi, who quirked an eyebrow and gave a slight shake of his head.

Erwin looked back toward her apologetically, "Perhaps that wasn't the best way for me to start this conversation."

Petra nodded cautiously, and slowly sank back into her chair.

Erwin sighed.

"Maybe…well, how familiar are you with law?" he tried again, "You know, legal practices, your rights as a citizen, rights as a member of the military, that sort of thing?"

Petra was only baffled all the more, not at all understanding why she was called in the office, the questions presented to her not shedding any light on the circumstance. She shrugged, "Well, not very familiar I guess…I don't exactly spend my free time digging through text books about law and order sir. Why? What does this have to do with...whatever this is?"

Erwin nodded, "Well Petra, I guess there's really no easy way to say this, but…" The commander looked around the room for a moment, then sank back into his chair and folded his hands in defeat, "Well, you're being discharged from the military."

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End of Chapter

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Alright, that's a wrap for chapter one! Don't fear, the next handful of chapters are already done so I won't make you wait terribly long on this semi cliff hanger. Expect the next chapter to launch the first week of March and we will go from there.

Until then, I'll try to write as frequently as possible so that updates can remain semi consistent for everyone this time around. I would love it if I could keep about 5+ chapters ahead each time I post, and that's just about where I am right now in terms of the plot line, but we'll see.

Yall stay warm and I'll see you at the next update!


	2. The One in Erwin's Office

Hello again!

Thank you for your patience and welcome back to the next chapter! I uploaded a little bit earlier than I expected, because heavens, yall seriously spoil me with your responses. (And if I'm being transparent, I REALLY wanted to get this posted asap for reasons you'll figure out along the way!) I love getting to read your thoughts and comments through the reviews you leave, so as always a huge shout out to those who take that time out of their day. You make my heart smile :)

Without further delay as I know we left off on a bit of a cliff hanger last go around - here's the next chapter! Enjoy!

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She was what? What did the Commander just say? That she was being _discharged_?

Petra was instantly on her feet again, "I'm _what_? Why? Is this some kind of a joke?"

They were discharging her? Well not like this they weren't! She'd fight them on it the whole. She had worked so hard, done everything that the Captain had told her to do, so where was this coming from? And speaking of the Captain, why hadn't Levi said anything about this?

Levi…

As she was shouting, her eyes instantly went in search of Levi, though the Captain merely kept his gaze to the floor, his expression just as unreadable.

That action alone spoke more to her than anything that Erwin had said and the inner fire left her all at once. Levi wasn't talking, he wasn't advocating on her behalf, wasn't shocked at the announcement; he knew. He _knew_, and there wasn't anything he was going to do about it.

She _was_ being discharged from the military.

The air seemed to leave her lungs at this revelation, and Petra struggled to breathe.

"Petra, please understand it's not our choice." Though Petra heard the voice, _Hanji's voice_, she inwardly noted, it was difficult for her to clearly understand, as though she were being spoken to while under water.

Why, _why_ was she being discharged?

Had she not been enough? Had she _ever_ been enough?

But she had been specifically recruited to join Levi's squad…

So why wasn't the Captain doing anything?

If he wanted her to stay, then he would have done something…

But he wasn't.

She heard muffled voices in the background, something or someone, though she hardly could hear them.

"Petra, you need to calm down; you're hyperventilating. Petra? …Levi, she's not responding."

"So what do you want me to do about it?"

"Well…something!"

"I _told_ you this wouldn't go smoothly. If she passes out then you'll just have to finish when she comes to, simple as that."

"Ugh, Erwin!"

"Levi, she's your subordinate - _do_ something."

"Fuck, what do you…" A sigh, "How hot is your coffee?"

Suddenly Petra felt cold, wet liquid splash over her and run down her face, and she gasped loudly as her mind was jolted out of its manic state. She looked around the room, catching her breath and attempting to bring her heart rate down to a more normal level.

She swallowed thickly, wiping the water off her face and -she frowned, her hands feeling oddly sticky and smelling strongly of coffee.

…_Not_ water then.

She clicked her tongue and glared at Levi, who was holding a suspiciously empty coffee mug and watching her expectantly. She shook her head, wiped her hands on a somewhat dry section of her pants and took a step toward Levi directly.

"Why."

They both knew her question had nothing to do with the coffee.

Hanji cleared her throat as she stepped toward Petra, wedging herself between the threatening ginger and the stoic Captain, "Petra please, listen. The situation is out of our hands, but even still, we wanted to give you as much notice as possible before everything took place. If it helps, we_ just_ found out about this today; that's why I interrupted your training session earlier. This is serious to us too."

Petra concentrated on bringing air consistently into her lungs and she gave a weak nod, taking a small step towards her chair and sinking into it slowly, her head still spinning from her previous episode. She buried her head in her hands, cursing herself as she felt tears start to well in her eyes.

She did_ not_ want to cry in front of her superiors.

"Guys, what's going on? I don't understand why you're getting rid of me."

Erwin's voice grabbed her attention, though she remained rooted in her spot, staring at the ground as she listened, "Do you remember about three months ago give or take, your term was nearing its end and you were presented with the option to sign another contract, or to retire and resign your post?"

"Of course." Petra responded, voice hindered by tears that were threatening to fall, "I chose to sign another four-year contract. Did that not get approved properly or something? Maybe…did I fill it out wrong?"

There was shuffling of papers across Erwin's desk and he continued, "Oh no, we got it. I actually have a copy of it right here confirming that you wish to extend your contract with the military. The problem we're facing is your legal guardian, a Mr. James Ral," Erwin's voice drawled off as he scanned whatever document for the details, "Aka _your father_, does not grant consent and demands that your term end at its expiration date, which coincidentally is..." He paused to review the paper again, more shuffling papers being heard, "Well, the end of this week apparently."

Petra slowly sat up, fully confused at this revelation, "My…father?"

Erwin nodded slowly, and Petra blinked a few times, "I'm sorry Commander...I don't understand. All do respect, but who cares if my father consents or not, it's none of his business."

Erwin shook his head, "I'm not saying I agree mind you, but legally speaking, as a female you are still represented by your father in the court of law. Females have different rights than males do, buying property, legal representation, voting rights, etc…"

Petra's frown only deepened and Erwin shrugged, getting to the point.

He cleared his throat, "Anyway, now that we have received official licensed documentation that your father does not consent for you to extend your contract, there is nothing we can do. Legally speaking, you _are_ viewed as his property and therefore under his complete authority. Put simply, his statement is viewed as more pertinent and legally binding than your own request to extend your contract."

Petra looked around the room again, struggling to find words at the sheer _absurdity_ of the situation, "I…I don't – but my father has _never_ agreed with my being in the military, so why is this only a problem now? Why was I granted the ability to join the military in the first place, if he had this supposed 'master' authority over me the whole time?"

Erwin shrugged, "It wasn't a problem because we've never received any formal documentation about it, so the decision was always left to you in terms of renewing your contract or not, but as of now…it seems that's no longer the case. It's now officially a legal matter and your father has full representation and jurisdiction over you. I wish that it weren't the case, but our hands are tied here. Even if we tried to dispute it, we'd just be laughed out of court. This is common law and even within the Scout Regiment, we are held to these same standards."

Petra held up a hand, "So let me get this straight, I've been in the military for almost eight years now, I am over the age of eighteen, but just because I'm a _girl_, my father gets the final say over my life choices and _my_ say means absolutely _nothing_ here?"

Erwin stared at her evenly, and Petra's mouth fell open, "You've got to be…Is there at least an appeal process? This is insane! I'm not…I'm not _property_, I am well of age to make decisions for myself; my gender should have nothing to do with it! If I were a male I would be a legal adult and this wouldn't even be a problem. How is this even remotely fair?"

Erwin gave her a sympathetic look, "It's not. Trust me, if there were anything we could do to negate this, we would already be doing it. We've considered rushing you over to your father's house to see if there's any way you can convince him to repeal his claim-"

"Do it!" Petra encouraged quickly, "If you just let me talk to him, I'm sure I could reason with him. _Or beat him within an inch of his life_…" she added darkly, then shook her head, "It's worth a shot right? If you just give me the chance I _know_ I can-"

Erwin gave a sympathetic smile, her eagerness only making it worse. His voice was gentle, "Petra, you're forgetting the time limit."

Petra paused mid sentence, and Erwin gave another extended sigh, equally frustrated by the turn of events, "Even if you were to leave right now, there's no earthly way you could get to your father's district, convince him to change his mind, then get the document back to us in just three days' time. If I'm not mistaken, it's about a four-day journey just to get there right?"

Hanji added in matter of factly, "The timing here was without doubt strategic. My guess is he knew you'd try something similar and made sure that he left no time for last minute negotiations like this. Like you, I don't know why only now this has become a problem, but unfortunately the why's don't matter anymore. He's made his move and there's nothing we can do to get out of check."

"In other words," Erwin added in, looking first toward Hanji then back to Levi's subordinate, "That's checkmate."

Petra gave a weak nod, sinking back into her chair wordlessly, her previous hope quickly deflated by the reality of her situation.

Petra looked around the room, at Hanji, at Erwin, then at Levi.

He had moved back to his spot against the wall and was again staring into the floor pensively; he had yet to say even a single word to her about it.

She understood now, why he had just stood there like that, why he had been so quiet during dinner. There was nothing he _could_ do, and while she logically knew that everyone, even Levi had their limits, a part of her was simply expecting that Levi would just fix it.

Still though, did she really have no other option?

She sighed and looked back to Erwin, her voice a mere whisper, "Commander…what do I do?"

He gave a small smile, "Make the most of it. The way I see it, you have three days to make lasting memories, pack up, and say your goodbyes. You should be proud of yourself and what you've accomplished in your time here Petra. When it's all said and done, I hope you can walk away with your head held high."

Petra nodded, unsatisfied by his answer, though trying to remain respectful, "Yeah…I appreciate it…I guess. I'll just, go and do that then…"

She stood up slowly, hardly able to feel her legs beneath her. She slowly moved away from the Commander's desk, pausing as she neared the door.

She grabbed the handle and turned around after a moment, desperation evident in her voice, "Erwin…There's really no other option? Considering that I'm over eighteen? My tenure? The fact that I'm an elite soldier doesn't exclude me from this ridiculous form of representation? I just…this is really hard for me to accept. I was expecting at least four more years, and I'm being told I've got a mere three _days_ instead. There's got to be _something_ that can be done."

He frowned sincerely, "Petra. If we come up with some way to get around this archaic law, you'll be the first to know. None of us want to see you go, and I will personally be working around the clock in hopes to find something we can exploit in your favor."

She nodded, a fire returning to her voice at Erwin's devotion, "I'll wait then. I'm not saying goodbyes or packing up until you're certain. I will hold out until the last possible moment, or until I'm kicked out. I'll even make a big spectacle about it if that helps; it'll be real ugly."

She was half joking, but half not. Erwin appreciated her dark humor and gave a chuckle, "Well, we certainly wouldn't want that." Erwin looked toward Levi with a grin, as though checking to see if the Captain found amusement in her words as well. Levi's expression was blank, however as he stood there silently, arms crossed and a slight tenseness to his posture, it didn't escape the Commander's notice that his knuckles had turned white from his suddenly tight grip.

Erwin's lip twitched. Just as obvious as it was that Petra was not giving up so easily, it was equally as clear to Erwin that Levi wasn't ready to let go either. He gave a quiet exhale at this observation and redirected his gaze toward Hanji when she also chuckled at Petra's words.

The Scientist turned towards her, "Petra I appreciate your enthusiasm, and truly we will keep looking, but I don't want you to get your hopes up for nothing. I don't see any possible path forward here, so it may be best to give your friends the proper closure. I know you'd want nothing less from them, right?"

She looked first toward Hanji, then stole a glance at Levi. She gave a small, half smile as she watched him, "It's true. And perhaps it's purely me being selfish and childishly refusing to accept things that don't go my way, but if anything, I'm stubborn. My Captain, he… he can vouch for that much at least."

She saw Levi smirk at her words, and she found herself taking strength from the simple gesture. She gave a nod toward her superiors, "I am going to go shower off...again. But you all know where you can find me. I'll be waiting."

…

* * *

…

There was a soft knock at her door, so soft that had she been asleep she wouldn't have even stirred.

Petra sat up in her bed, adjusting the light and moving toward the door. "Coming…" she called out weakly.

While she hoped beyond all reason that it was someone with good news about her situation, in truth she was simply grateful for any distraction at all. She had attempted to go about her night as usual, waiting with bated breath for a message that would never come. After staying up a significant margin later than she normally would, she decided to call it a night and go to sleep.

By all definition she had indeed gone to bed, though actually falling asleep was another matter altogether. She had certainly tried, but her brain was perpetually running over any possible scenarios she could come up with, ways that she could somehow reach her father and demand he see reason, all within three days – and try as she may, sleep stubbornly eluded her as the hours dragged by.

Opening the door a crack, Petra squinted at the light spilling in from the hall and focused on the figure in front of her.

"Captain," Petra acknowledged after a moment, not sure what his visit might entail, and not wanting to make any grand assumptions one way or another, lest she get her hopes up for nothing.

"I, uh… what time is it?" she asked as she watched him from the door, trying to get a read on him, though as usual, coming up empty handed.

He watched her for an extended moment, not moving forward to the door immediately, simply observing her.

"Were you sleeping?" He asked after a moment of thought, seeming to avoid the question.

Petra gave a half smile and shook her head, opening the door fully and retreating back into her room, "Well I tried, but no luck so far. I know I'll regret it in the morning come training, but I'm so wired, my mind just won't stop."

Levi followed behind her, closing the door softly and moving to sit on the lone wooden chair by her writing desk.

Petra sat down on the edge of her bed and rubbed her eyes in exhaustion, "I don't want the guys to get any ideas, so I planned to go about my day like normal as best I can tomorrow, but problem is I never stay up like this. I'll just have to make the coffee really strong or something to perk me back up." Petra yawned widely, "Seriously what time is it, like two something?"

Levi's eyes shone with a hint of amusement, "More like…_three_ something."

Petra gave a small chuckle and hung her head as she rubbed her forehead, "Oh great."

As she looked at the floor, Levi's voice, more quiet than normal, rang through the night air, "How you holding up?"

Petra furrowed her eyebrows in immediate response as she stared at the floor, and she slowly sat back up, inhaling and exhaling slowly as she tried to find an answer to his question.

She pressed her lips together in contemplation and she shrugged as she tried to find the right words. She looked at Levi directly and gave a slight shake of her head, "Well to be honest Captain, I really…I don't know. I think my mind is still trying to grasp it all. Like I knew my rights as a female were limited, but I didn't see it being such an impacting factor in the military, so I never really thought too much about it after I joined the Scouts."

She paused, trying to accurately name all the various things that her mind kept replaying, "I am really struggling with just the pure shock that my father would ever _do_ this to me. Outdated laws are one thing, but the fact my dad _knows_ my wishes and is hiding behind this stupid rule to force me back home is just...who _does_ that?"

She paused again, then turned her attention back to the floor, resting her arms across her legs as she leaned forward slightly, "And the hardest part to grasp, the part that, I don't know, maybe it's just pure denial but…this concept that my time here…is just, _done_? I have been on this squad now for years, and I worked_ so_ hard to get here."

Petra looked up at Levi squarely, "And _you_." She emphasized, irritation clear in her eyes, but a shadow of a grin on her face, "After working as hard as I did just to _get_ on this squad, that was _nothing_. You kicked my ass on the daily, you are impossible to get along with, are pretty much always in a pissed off mood, and as silly as it is…"

She paused and smiled fondly at him, "Well. I suppose I'm used to it. I am _used_ to our Squad and our rag tag team, I'm _used_ to Oluo's big mouth, Eld always nagging me, Gunther taking everything _way_ too seriously. You guys are all like my second family, so just as desperately as I miss my father while I'm here, there's no way I wouldn't be just as devastated to be apart from all of you."

Her smile seemed to break, and she shook her head, "I know that I need to accept that perhaps I truly don't have any options here; I'm not naïve enough to think that the government will make an exception for me – but Captain… I've gone on Expeditions, slayed _Titans_, I've gone outside the walls and seen what this world _could_ be for humanity one day – and to just…_leave_? To just go back home and live out the rest of my life as an average civilian? I truly don't know how I wouldn't go mad! I've seen too much, _done_ too much."

She shook her head, speaking more to herself than to Levi at this point, "I can't go back, I just _can't_."

A long silence followed her answer, Levi observing her for a long moment; not responding to her admission one way or another.

Petra moved her attention back toward him, still not certain if he was coming with further updates, good or bad, or if he was simply just checking up on her – either way she was grateful. It was nice to just talk it out, vent some of her fears and frustrations, and to know that in the event she did have to leave, at least _someone_ knew and understood where her heart was.

"And what about you Captain? You just found out about all of this too right? How are _you_ taking all of this? Bet you didn't know getting rid of me had been this easy all along." Petra teased lightly, and to her credit, the Captain gave a slight chuckle at her words.

"All the wasted years…" he mumbled in amusement, earning a laugh from Petra as well.

Levi straightened up slightly, taking a breath as he also regarded her question, "The short version is, I'm not ready for you to leave the Squad. If_ you_ want to leave, that's one thing, but...that doesn't seem to be the case here."

Petra's eyes narrowed, and she quirked an eyebrow, "…And what's the long version?"

He blinked, "The long version? Well, this entire circumstance is shit. The fact your father doesn't have the balls to talk to you in person is shit. Him waiting until the last possible moment to force us into a corner is shit. The fact we can't just go back and edit your documents to state you are actually a _male_, therefore can make your own fucking decisions, is shit."

Petra smirked at the divulged information, "Fabricating my gender. Was that _actually_ an idea that was brought up?"

Levi rolled his eyes, "Erwin didn't like it."

"Ah," Petra responded with a grin pulling at her lips, now fairly certain who's idea it had been.

Levi continued, "The law being exploited is shit, and the fact such a law exists in the first place, is also _complete_ bullshit."

Petra nodded slowly after the Captain's irritated sort of rant, and she gave a long drawn out sigh, "It's definitely a bad situation…"

Levi scoffed at her lace-gloved description, "It's fucking asinine!"

Regardless the grimness of the circumstance, Petra couldn't help but smirk at the Captain's _'way with words'_ and a mirthful laugh escaped her.

"What?" he challenged, not understanding the source of her amusement.

She grinned, making direct eye contact with the raging Captain, "Thank you."

Seeing the confused look the Captain shot her, Petra explained with a sheepish shrug of her shoulders, "Not that I thought you were _for_ such laws, or that you wanted me to leave, but just knowing that I'm not the only person upset by all of this…well, it helps. I don't want to leave, but if I absolutely must, just knowing that there are others out there who don't support it and can acknowledge how unfair it is, it will make it all just a little easier perhaps."

A long sigh escaped him, and Levi looked at her directly, "Petra, you know that I didn't come here just to check up on you."

Petra nodded, having expected as much considering her Captain wasn't one to have long drawn out conversations for the mere fun of it, "I was hoping not. Do you…have any updates?_ Good_ updates, I hope?"

Levi rocked his head back and forth, seeming to try to pick his words carefully. He took a breath, watching her closely, "What if I told you that there might just be a way that we can allow you to stay – legally even – but that it would come at a high, high price. Would you still be interested?"

Petra regarded him for a long moment, knowing that Levi was not one to just debate theoretical scenarios for argument's sake. Her expression was both guarded, all while laced with clear confusion. Levi knew full well that she wanted to stay in the military more than anything, yet even knowing this, he was still cautious about her accepting the solution?

This concerned her.

"So you figured it out? Why wasn't I told about this earlier?"

Levi didn't answer, merely watched her evenly as the silence extended. They both knew full well that those questions were not important; that she was merely stalling from asking the real question at hand. She swallowed, her voice a slight whisper, a small part of her seeming to fear whatever this presented solution was.

She took a breath, "…What's your solution?"

Levi was pensive, "I want to explain a few things first. The reality is this won't change the fact that you can't represent yourself in the court of law; we've gone round table on it so many times and bottom line is, the government plain and simple will never overlook your gender long enough to consider your testimony, be it for the military, property, domestic disputes, etc. As long as your father is in the picture, nothing is going to change and you won't have any real say in matters."

Petra gasped, giving Levi a look that suggested he was insane, "As long as my father is in the picture? Captain you aren't _possibly_ suggesting that-" Her voice rose in octave, "You said it would be _legal_!"

Levi rolled his eyes, "Please. What _is_ it with you today, no one here is out to kill your old man." Levi paused in thought, "Well, admittedly after today he's not exactly my favorite person, so-"

"Levi!" Petra chided sharply, and the Captain scoffed.

"Fuck, I was being _sarcastic_. But really, _no one _here is suggesting that your father be, what,_ assassinated_? What is being looked at instead – and mind you its messy and there are a lot of details to work through here - but what if your father wasn't looked at as legally responsible for you anymore? We can't change that you have to be legally represented, but would you be comfortable if we changed _who_ was representing you?"

Petra shot him a questioning glance, and Levi cleared his throat.

He clarified, resting his arms across his legs as he observed her, leaning forward slightly, "We've agreed it may be best if I act as your legal advocate instead. I would be able to grant you the freedom to your own choice; whether you wanted to leave the military or stay, you have my word that the final decision would be solely yours to make, I wouldn't interfere."

Petra wrinkled her nose, and Levi sighed at seeing her immediate reaction, "_However_. I understand that such an arrangement might be..._uncomfortable_ all things considered. So before we get into the details and practicality behind it all, would that even work for you as an option?"

Petra shook her head quickly, "Sorry Captain, I don't want to give the wrong idea, I just... of course I'd be fine with _that_. I don't care _who_ signs off on the paperwork if in theory it means I get to stay."

She bit her lip in contemplation, thinking out loud, "...But, I'm just a little lost, as that's all easier said than done, right? I mean it _sounds_ good - perfect even - but I don't see how you can suddenly gain that kind of authority over night. How can you just replace my father in the court of law, and in what, three days? Reality is I'm a young, single female and the only way that my father won't be looked at as my direct authority is if I were to…"

Petra paused, her voice growing uncertain as the pieces slowly began to fall into place one by one. She corrected her word choice, her bewildered expression only marring her features further, "No, unless _you_ were to…"

Her mouth fell open mid-sentence as she fully realized Levi's intent. She looked up at him in shock, eyes wide. She wordlessly shook her head no, because he couldn't possibly be suggesting what she thought - though Levi merely nodded once in confirmation, knowing she had finally come to the same conclusion.

"Marry me, Petra."

...

* * *

End of Chapter

* * *

...

Alright, this plot just has me so hooked, and their interactions amuse me greatly. I have kept writing multiple days a week and am making great progress to ensure that the updates you guys see stays consistent and not like some of my other grave yard pieces. I really feel like this story is so captivating and cringey and so fun to read and write. I hope you guys are just as enamored as I am and continue to stick around as I keep posting the events to come. All the cringe.

Thanks again for your support and be sure to let me know what your thoughts are in those reviews! Did you see it coming? Were you taken by surprise? Any predictions?


	3. The One Where She Doesn't Brush Her Hair

My gosh you guys.

As always, your reviews have just…I have no words. You have told me that my writing has helped make your bad days a little less bad, that I brought a smile to you on your BIRTHDAY (Happy late birthday, hope you had an awesome day!) and that you guys all support my vision for this story – I swear to you that I am privileged to have the greatest readers on this site.

Truly, I myself look forward to updates because I want to share the next chapter of course, but man if this really does make even that small difference in your day, what an honor for me to be that conduit for you all! Thanks for taking this journey with me, and yall don't worry, I promise you that there are many MANY more chapters coming. Like… a lot. Fun stuff I promise.

I'll be quiet now. Yall get to reading :)

...

* * *

...

"Marry me, Petra." Levi stated simply, watching her pointedly, as though he were actually expecting an answer then and there.

Petra ducked her head lower as she eyed him incredulously, her response a mix between a hiss and a whisper, "Wha- Marry you? _That's_ your grand solution? Have you_ actually_ gone insane?"

Levi looked around the room as though checking for people, also dropping his voice to a hushed whisper as he leaned forward, "Petra…_why are you whispering_?"

She felt her face flush at his poking fun at her, and she sat up fully, her voice still hushed and quiet as though she were in some form of forbidden subject matter, "Because, _Levi_, what you're suggesting is just…I don't even know what to say!"

Levi smirked at her dramatic reaction and beet red face, regardless the seriousness of the situation at hand. He shrugged nonchalantly, "Well traditionally a woman either responds with a yes or no – although I didn't get down on one knee, so perhaps it's a moot point to focus on tradition right now."

Petra rolled her eyes and gave him a long stare, suggesting that this was no laughing matter and he slowly sobered his expression, sitting up fully as he took a breath, "Look. I know how extreme an option this is. Trust me when I say that I'm not exactly comfortable with it myself," He looked at her squarely, his expression now completely serious, "But you should know me well enough to know that I wouldn't be bringing it up if there were a different option at hand."

Petra exhaled, giving a weak nod and avoiding eye contact as she tried to think it through. She shook her head in admitted surprise, "I was thinking you'd find like some weird sub clause or some old forgotten military perk, maybe call in a favor from a higher up. But _this_…? Sorry if I'm a bit slow to the draw, but I'm still having a hard time believing that I'm _actually_ having this conversation with you right now. This is…you're for real right? Be a hell of a time for you to suddenly grow a sense of humor."

"Believe me, I wish it would have been that simple." Levi crossed his arms and slouched back into the chair, "The reality is that we can't find a work around, and we only have three days to work with before you are legally out of our hands for good. Bluntly that's not enough time for you to reach your father, but it is plenty of time for Erwin to legally preform a wedding. If you are bound in matrimony, it is no longer your _father_ that is viewed as your head of household, rather your _husband_. Your father's previous appeal would mean nothing and you can extend, or end your contract however you see fit."

Petra blinked a few times, still finding it impossible to wrap her head around the sudden direction the conversation had taken. She opened her mouth a few times, struggling to find the right words, before holding up her hands defensively, "I get the theory behind it – and I am not giving an answer just yet – but before we even get to that part, is this actually practical? Is this an idea you just now came up with, or have you actually talked to Erwin to make sure this all checks out? I mean, let's not forget the obvious here, you're my commanding officer. Are you even _allowed_ to marry me? Without breaking any rules that is?"

Levi exhaled and gave a few nods, noting that her questions were precise and logical – at the very least she was taking him seriously now. "I ran the idea by Erwin who agreed, much like you, that theoretically it was possible should we both consent to the marriage, but when we added the military rules it seemed like a bust, namely due to the fact that I am your direct commanding officer."

Petra watched him warily, "But you found a loophole?"

Levi blinked as though surprised himself, "So to speak. In this_ exact_ scenario mind you, there's something that plays in your favor. While a Commanding Officer marrying a lower ranked soldier is perfectly legal, traditionally they aren't permitted to be on the same Squad – an obvious problem in our case."

Levi cleared his throat and continued, "However, there _is_ a bylaw that states that either impacted party cannot be promoted or demoted as a result of a change in marital status – something that would in fact occur if we tried to move you somewhere else. Whether we moved you into an Officer role, or simply moved you to a different squad, your rank would be impacted which makes the change illegal due to potential discrimination. Due to the very unique rank you have from being on my squad, there is nowhere else we can place you that won't infringe upon the Scout's code of conduct. In short, because our group is a singular specialty unit, you can legally be married to me, and remain on my squad at the same time – perhaps more accurately stated, there's actually nowhere else_ for_ you to go."

Petra shook her head in wonder and gave a chuckle, amused greatly that she was even _considering_ this. "Wow. That's…_convenient_. At least that's one single thing that somewhat plays in our favor. And what exactly does Erwin think about all of this? Just because it's legal doesn't mean Erwin would condone it, right? A Captain and his subordinate…Levi, that's more than a little taboo."

The Ackerman crossed his arms, recalling the previous hours that had been spent discussing these same questions with Hanji and Erwin. They had all tossed around ideas, though once Levi finally suggested the idea that was growing more prominent in his mind and actually had the guts to _admit_ his direction of thought, they all slowly, begrudgingly agreed that as extreme an option as it was, it would work, and unfortunately, it was the only one they had.

Remembering the hours of debate, the logical red flags, the wildfire gossip that would undoubtedly be spread as a result of such a sudden marriage, Levi gave a simple shrug and summarized, "Erwin's thoughts? Well, the same that all of us are thinking. This entire thing is fucked. He doesn't like this as an option, Hanji doesn't like this as an option, I don't much like it as an option, and I know full well you have your reservations about it, as you _should_…But."

Levi paused and looked at her firmly, holding her eye contact in a manner that captivated her, "You told me before that being in the Scouts means _everything_ to you. I decided that if that was true, I would do anything in my power as your Captain to see that your choice was honored." He paused, quirking an eyebrow at the irony of the circumstance, "Granted, this outcome is significantly more personal than I ever expected it to become, but it is what it is. The difficult thing here is-"

He paused as he noted Petra's suddenly troubled expression, and he sighed.

Watching her for a long moment, he nodded lightly, "Petra, perhaps I should clarify something. I'm not using this as a test of your loyalty; I'll understand perfectly if you decide against it and return home, there's no shame in that…but if you are serious, if being on my squad matters more to you than anything else – more than..."

Her gaze on him was heavy as he tried to find things that she would be sacrificing in exchange for a place on his Squad. Truth be told, he did want her to stay, but as he had told her before, the cost was high, and she needed to know just what she was giving up before she made any hasty decisions.

He took a breath and explained gently, listing out things that he was so certain a girl like Petra would want in her life, "More than…finding love, more than having a family, having your dad walk you down the aisle…" He gave a nod, "If you are content with giving up the ordinary pleasures of a traditional civilian life - then I will _marry_ you, and you will remain on my squad for as long as you wish."

Petra's frown only deepened, and she wasn't sure why there were tears in her eyes. "Captain, I..._no_. You shouldn't have to sacrifice any of that either, this is my mess and to get you tangled up in it, for the rest of your life, I just…no. I can't ask that of you. It's not fair; it's not _right_."

Levi quirked an eyebrow, "Petra you seem to be forgetting that _I_ asked _you_. And besides, as much as you seem to want to think that I'm being some sort of hero here, the reality is I am not giving up much of anything important to me. I intend on being in the Scouts until my life comes to an end, so getting in a relationship and settling down is of little interest to me. I don't mean to be callus, but I need you to understand what I _am_ offering, versus what I'm _not_: I am offering you a legal marriage that will ultimately allow you to stay on my squad. But. I am _not_ offering a relationship with you, and I want to make that very clear."

Levi paused and took a moment to cross his arms as he explained with a serious expression, "I'm not looking to settle down, or to have a 'wife' or whatever – it'll be weird enough as it is and I don't need the headache of a forced relationship on top of it. All due respect, but I have no interest in such things, nor in being such a man for you. I intend to be your _Captain_ – no more, and no less."

After Levi's unexpectedly blunt clarification, Petra stared at him in wonder and found a sudden smirk painting her lips, "Wow Captain, talk dirty to me."

He gave a small laugh, amused by her cheeky retort, and his expression relaxed as he gave a grin of his own, "I know, no doubt the exact scenario you dreamed of as a little snotty nosed brat. More importantly Petra, I don't want you to feel that you owe me anything or that this is some sort of favor with undisclosed strings attached. It will be the easiest for everyone involved if we just go about business as usual, instead of trying to live like a traditional married couple. I will still be your Captain, and you'll still be the annoying little shit that I have to whip into shape."

Petra looked at him for a long moment, deciding that – while almost insultingly straightforward – his decision to make things strictly business took some of the unspoken questions out of her mind and truly did uncomplicate things, if only a little. He had a valid point - just because there was a piece of paper stating they were legally bound in matrimony did not actually mean they_ had _to act and behave like married people. They could still play out their same roles in the squad day by day and life could return to normal almost immediately.

…So what was the problem then?

Levi's proposal to fix the situation – a legitimate proposal as fate would have it –_ would_ work, she knew it would, and yet she found herself hesitating to agree. There was just something so twisted, something that didn't sit right in her gut, about marrying for anything other than love. Her father had always taught her that marriage was sacred – that a marriage based on money, good looks, anything short of honest love for another person, would inevitably bottom out and lead to a life of regret. What was more, divorce wasn't exactly an option for later down the road. With the rise of the religious figures over the past many years, divorce had been all but outlawed across all the districts and walled territories. In the event she actually agreed to marry the Captain, for something that she could only look at as a desperate form of _career advancement – __she mentally cringed - _it would be a permanent ordeal.

Oh gods if she actually did this, her father would have an outright heart attack.

Petra gave a quiet, bemused laugh to herself as she thought about holidays and family gatherings – Levi sitting at one end of the table casually, her father sitting on the other, glaring tersely with an all-out snarl at his unwanted, uncaring son in law. Her father would be _so_ disappointed in her. Or perhaps, there would be no family gatherings and no meeting her father? Levi had stated that he wanted no actual relationship with her, so that would very likely include the meeting her family and other traditions that came with the territory.

Petra could easily accept the fact that those things wouldn't happen with Levi, that was one thing, but the fact that they would never happen at_ all_? A tear spilled over her cheek in the same moment as thoughts plagued her mind regarding the potential outcomes of her decision.

She looked toward the ceiling as she wiped her eyes, trying to compose herself and laughing all the more at the conflicting emotions that warred within her. It was easier to laugh right now with Levi watching her, her thoughts were just too painful to dwell on, "This day, I swear. Why couldn't you_ just_ have been behind in your paperwork?"

Levi smirked again, though allowed her a moment to collect her thoughts, falling silent as she seemed to ponder her options in tense silence. As she looked toward him, her green eyes clouded with questions and regret and longing, Levi furrowed his eyebrows as he watched her in return, finding it rather difficult to read his quiet subordinate - an uncommon practice for him considering Petra was usually an easy read with her dramatic and boisterous mannerisms.

"What are your thoughts on all of this?" he asked softly, studying her as he did so because while he didn't want to rush her, the waiting was starting to make him anxious.

She looked at him sadly, shaking her head in dismay, "It's not that I really see myself settling down, but perhaps the surprise – just the fact that one day it _could_ happen, is thrilling and exciting, and to just close that door off? What girl doesn't dream about her wedding day, right?"

Levi rolled his shoulders, then shifted across the chair again, not sure if he really was the best person suited to have such a tender conversation with her about love and romance or whatever, and he held back a sigh as he watched her with (what he hoped) was a patient expression, "Look. I'm not saying you have to answer now, but the reality is it's just a simple question of what you want the most."

Petra scoffed at his words, giving a bitter laugh while shaking her head, "Simple…" she repeated bitterly, "This is anything _but _simple, Levi. _Simple_ would be my dad minding his own damn business. _Simple_ would be the government deciding that I'm not second class just because I'm a girl. _Simple_ would be not having to choose between two drastically different, and drastically _costly_ futures."

She looked back up toward the ceiling, more tears threatening to fall. Damn it all, she hated when she cried.

"Either I go home to live with my father and my time as a Scout- the best years of my life- are forever behind me, or I marry _you_ – a cold and formal bond that keeps me _where_ I want to be, but forever keeps me chained to you as my legal husband, whether I remain in the Scouts or not. Just for the record Captain, you're a good man, but I don't want to _marry _you. I don't…I don't look at you like that and trying to wrap my mind around the idea of getting married by Friday – it's just too damn much and I'm not sure what I should do."

She pressed her lips together, frustration coursing through her, "But make no mistake, you're _no_ hero here Captain. The fact that you'd even _offer_ me such a thing...ugh, honestly I could murder you right now! Had I not known about this I could have at least gone home with the peace of mind that I had no control in the outcome. Now it doesn't matter what I choose, I will always bear the burden of what I chose to leave behind. Why would you ever put me in such a place?"

"You're strong Petra." Levi supplemented easily, not seeming to be perturbed by her sudden place of blame, "If I didn't think you could handle the strain and choose what is best for yourself, I wouldn't have offered such an option in the first place. Besides, I thought that's what this was all about: you getting to choose your own path."

Petra closed her eyes fully, feeling more tears fall down the sides of her face. She whispered brokenly, "I don't want this Captain."

"I know."

A long silence passed by, and Petra took a deep breath. She looked at Levi firmly, watching him for a long moment as she regarded her decision. She wasn't sure if she wanted to cry, or hug him, or hit him as hard as she possibly could and simply walk away.

At the very least, she found the entire circumstance ironic._ Only_ Levi could come up with such an absurd fix to her problem, one that would hurt just as much as it healed. But, to his credit, he was the only one to actually offer her a true choice – the very thing her own _father_ had stripped away from her. The reality was, there was only one option that offered her true happiness, and she had known it from the beginning.

Resolve fell over her, and she exhaled softly.

Her _mind _was made up, but her heart was broken.

"I'll do it." She stated as she locked her gaze with the Captain's, "I will. I'll marry you, Levi. At least this way, no one will be choosing my path but me, and I choose to stay."

Levi watched her cautiously, looking for any signs of uncertainty or regret that followed her words.

He saw none.

She truly had made her choice and there would be no going back, no, not with how stubborn he knew his subordinate to be.

He gave a nod of acceptance, a smirk pulling at the corners of his lips, "Well, I can't say I'm surprised. I would expect nothing less from someone that I handpicked for my squad. For what it's worth, you're a brave girl Petra. I'm glad."

"Glad?" she repeated, finding his choice of words odd.

His smirk only widened, "I told you already, that I'm not prepared for you to leave my squad just yet. We still have to perfect the Omega formation after all."

She groaned and rolled her eyes, not certain if he was trying to lighten the mood, but fearing more than anything that he was being serious. She quirked an eyebrow, "Are you _trying_ to get me to quit? You've just made more of a convincing argument with that alone than when you told me that I'm doomed to die alone and unloved, with nothing to look forward to but your latest rendition of the Omega formation."

Levi chuckled and gave an accepting nod, "Worth a shot right?" He stood up from the chair and looked down at Petra seriously, "For real, this is what you want? Once the papers are signed, thanks to those religious fucks there's no going back so-"

Petra gave a simple nod and cut him off with a wave of her hand, "I know. But it's the only path where I'll ever have a say in my future and that's more important to me than, well, you get it. Now, when do you want to make it official?"

Levi moved towards her door, sighing heavily, "It's not exactly like we have time on our side for this. Tomorrow?"

Petra was admittedly surprised by the immediacy of his response, but all things considered, she supposed it made sense and there was no point in putting it off. She gave a simple nod, exhaustion finally washing over her in heavy waves now that the matter was settled, and Levi nodded back, "I'll let Erwin know and he'll get everything in order. You should get some rest."

Levi opened the door, and Petra called out after him, "Uh Captain?"

"Hm?"

"Thanks…you really, _really_ didn't have to do this. You know that, right?"

He paused in step, looking out toward the hall pensively, "…Get some sleep Petra, we've got a long day tomorrow.

…

* * *

...

When Petra woke the next morning, she was partially confused as consciousness slowly came to her.

The sun was shining brightly through her window – an oddity considering she was always up before the sun got that high in the sky. In her half-awake state, this puzzled her as she blinked in exhaustion, and she pondered for a few moments why the sun was so bright at such an early time of day. Perhaps the sunrise just came _early_ today?

That had to be it.

She sat up groggily and rubbed her eyes, giving a large yawn as she stretched out her aching limbs.

She was utterly exhausted from her late night, her mind was overwhelmed with all the problems presented to her, and thanks to the Captain's obsession with their new formation, her entire body throbbed. As her mind began to return to full alertness, in an instant she realized that, of course, the sun was not early, she was _late_.

_Hours_ late.

Giving a groan as she shot herself fully out of bed, she quickly tore off her pajama pants, hopping on one leg toward her closet as she shook the garment off her. She was already pulling up her hair into a ponytail with a frazzled twist of her fingers, noting to herself that brushing it out would just have to come later because she was too late to fuss about it.

Changing as fast as she possibly could into her basic military uniform, Petra ran out of her room as she fumbled with the buttons and moved toward the bathroom, moving into the room and turning on the water, taking time to brush her teeth as fast as humanly possible and eyeing her reflection in frustration as she did so.

Her goal had been to not alert her teammates to any changes or concern them with her situation, but she just _had_ to go and pull a stunt like this. Reality was that yes, her father had thrown a considerable hurdle at her, but all things considered it would be resolved in a way that prevented him from meddling again in the future, so there was no need to alarm them.

Later on today, she would meet with Erwin and Hanji, and she and Levi would –

Her wrist paused in its previous brushing motion and Petra blinked in realization.

That was right, today was her _wedding_ day.

All at once the reality hit her, and it took her breath away. The fact that she knew full well what her intentions were, and also knew herself enough to know that her mind was made up – her stomach churned.

She was getting married today. To Levi.

To her own Captain.

Now moving very slowly as she wrestled with her scattered and weighty thoughts, Petra grabbed the hand towel and wiped her mouth of any remaining toothpaste, halfway in a daze as she set the towel back down, hardly noticing as it slipped inch by inch off the counter until finally falling onto the floor.

She _knew_ that she was making the best choice for herself as it was the only way she could possibly remain in the military and have a say in her future, but even still, knowing what she was giving up to stay tore her heart in every direction.

She was knowingly going against the will of her father, who had gone so far to bring her back home simply out of his obsessive version of love for her. She was knowingly giving up a considerable part of her life that she herself had been looking forward to, intentionally opening one door to her future, while simultaneously closing off another door completely.

Petra closed her eyes in pained contemplation, placing her hands across the sink's surface and gripping the edges tightly until her knuckles turned white.

She was going to _marry_ him, she acknowledged in silent wonder, and a tear rolled down her cheek.

Once she was legally married, that would be it. There would be no meeting this or that guy – no flirting at the bar, no kind stranger that would eventually, hopefully, lead to something more. For the rest of her life there would be no firsts, no petty fights, no butterflies, nothing to cherish with that special someone – she would truly live the rest of her life alone.

Petra coughed as a building sob wracked across her body, the weight of her decision hitting her like a physical blow.

She wanted to stay, she _did_, but as Levi had so aptly put, the cost of doing so was high, and knowing that she would have to pay that price hurt on a deep, personal level.

She had never imagined that her wedding day would be anything but bliss. She would wear a big white dress, perhaps a string of pearls and beautiful clean shoes that matched her white dress. Her hair would be styled in a complicated and elegant fashion, and her whole family and countless friends would be there with her.

She had always dreamed of a big wedding.

Best of all, a tall, dark, handsome someone would be waiting with a prideful and glowing smile on their face, and she would all but run down the aisle to meet him – her father would have to tug back on her arm to slow her pace, chuckling as he did so. He would tell her how proud he was of her, and that even after all this time she would always be his little girl.

Another sob escaped her, and she hung her head low, chest heaving as she realized that those dreams would, forever and always, just be mere dreams for her.

Fact of the matter was, her marriage was simply for the legal purposes; there was no spark, no romance, no future….

More tears ran down her face as her body trembled, mind struggling to accept with the things that she would have to let go of, in order to keep what she treasured the most.

It just wasn't fair.

No other Scout had been forced to make such a judgement call. No other Scout was given an ultimatum, and no other Scout would have to give up the things she would in order to hold her spot on the squad.

Although…was there any other Scout that had a Captain that would go as far as hers would? Was there any other scout that when placed in such a spot, their Captain would see it through to the end, force an opening where there wasn't one, even if their own cost was also _just_ as high in return?

And yet…Levi hadn't complained. He hadn't begrudged her for her situation, and was willing to tie himself to her permanently, just so she could choose her own fate.

Petra stared down into the sink, allowing herself a few moments to her thoughts; allowing herself to _feel_ the pain that came with making such a choice.

As the minutes passed by, her breathing mellowed and eventually resumed its normal pace. Her tears slowed, and finally stopped completely. She took a few deep breaths and looked back into her reflection, sobering her expression and wiping her eyes that were all the more puffy and red from her breakdown.

A moment of sorrow, an acknowledgement of her feelings to validate her grief - that would be enough.

Knowing the costs, knowing that a part of her would always long for more, knowing that she could always back out, knowing that she could always _stay_, but finding resolve in that the decision was truly _hers_ to make…

Petra took one last deep breath, splashed a handful of cold water across her face, and resumed getting ready for her day.

...

* * *

End of Chapter

* * *

...

Whew, that's a wrap – and look, no cliff hanger this time! Just a sad depressed Petra who will never get to marry her...*smirk* TALL, dark, handsome someone or other. You know honest to goodness that was not meant to be a pun, but my husband who looks over and edits these things read it, gave me a dark look 'Really? You're pulling that, seriously?' before busting up laughing at the irony of it all. So...sorry Levi. The 'hey Levi's short' joke made it in here after all. No hard feelings buddy.

Anyhow, I'm thinking this next chapter will be updated around the last week of March? I'm kinda liking this biweekly update thing I've got going on. It gives me time to write new content and make it so future updates can keep happening without a lot of hold up, but at the same token makes it so you guys aren't waiting months on end for the latest installment.

Again, lots of love guys! Your comments are awesome so please keep them coming!

Till next time,  
Midnight


	4. The One with the Burnt Coffee

Hey guys!

I'm going to keep it short up here because I got some great questions/suggestions from you guys last go around so the authors note down below _more _than makes up for my traditional welcome speech up here. You have been warned!

Heads up, I actually have a question for YOU at the end that will directly impact this story, so if you could bear through my long-winded response below? No stress if not. Hearts and flowers and all that!

...

* * *

...

"Petra!" Eld greeted, giving a cheerful wave from his spot at the table, "I was wondering if you'd be gracing us with your presence today. You never sleep in like this, are you feeling okay?"

Petra nodded back as she entered the room, attempting to keep her composure and looking around the table before looking back at Eld in concern, "I'm fine but… where's everyone else?"

"Oh. Well you picked a great day to sleep in actually," Eld explained as Petra moved toward the edge of the room and poured herself a cup of coffee. "Captain came by and said that he's got a lot of meetings with the Commander today so we are off duty for the most part. Apparently, we'll have a meeting in the afternoon with him so we can't leave the compound, but other than that we are free to do whatever we want."

Petra gave a nod, not at all surprised to hear Eld's announcement now that she thought about it. _Of course_ leadership needed all the time they could get to work through her situation. What caught her attention was the fact that Eld wasn't hounding her with innumerable questions. Based off that alone, she could safely assume Levi hadn't briefed them on any of the details as to why their schedule was so disrupted.

She was grateful for that at least.

They would find out eventually, and soon, but she had enough to deal with _without_ their thoughts on the matter, so even it if was just a few more hours, it was nice that things were still relatively normal amongst her peers. She took a sip of her coffee and instantly made a face, looking at Eld instantly for an explanation.

There were _grains_ or...thick, why was it so _thick_?

He shrugged and bit back a smirk, "Gunther did his best, but we never make the coffee so he just kind of guessed. If it makes you feel better the Captain was so disgusted, he said that unless you are around to make it we aren't allowed access to the coffee rations anymore. So…there's that at least."

Petra clicked her tongue in agreement as she scowled, trying to get the burnt taste out of her mouth before taking the entire pot to the nearby sink and dumping it. She shook her head in amazement as she watched the dense liquid run down the drain; there was a shocking amount of coffee grounds floating around in the blackish-brown liquid and a resulting burnt sort of stink that lingered even after she ran clean water down the sink.

She washed the pot out wordlessly, setting to work on making a fresh pot for her team. While she had indeed slept in, it was still well within the confines of the morning, and at the very least she herself would appreciate a proper cup of coffee to help get her day in motion.

She sat back down at the table after preparing the coffee pot and Eld stretched out, looking toward her with a sly grin, "It's so bizarre for the Captain to just give us free time. We were all talking this morning and we kind of think it's just an excuse, so he can catch up on all his paperwork."

Petra gave a half smile, knowing full well that that wasn't the issue at hand, "You're still on that? I don't normally get involved, but I'm telling you Eld – drop your stupid bet. Call a truce and just accept that no one is getting money on this deal."

Eld watched her for a long moment, his expression growing suddenly serious as he watched her, "Alright, I hear you. I figured you would have an inside scoop considering Levi called you away last night. With that in mind, what happened? Is something wrong?"

She returned his gaze in question as though to say she had no idea what he was talking about, and Eld gave an amused chortle, "Well as much as I'd like to pretend that I'm unusually perceptive, it's pretty obvious right now that you've been crying. Bit of a giveaway."

Petra's eyes widened and her hands went over her face in embarrassment, "Oh shoot. Really it's, it's nothing Eld. I really don't-"

Eld turned towards her in his chair and groaned, "Don't start with that. Look, all I know is that last night Levi pulled you aside and we didn't see you at all after that which is majorly concerning. To make matters worse you slept in today - something that _never _happens - but stranger still was the fact that the Captain didn't even seem surprised, nor did he even seem to care! To top it off, _now_ you come out here looking like you've been up all-night crying. Say what you want but I'd venture that these events are in fact related, yes?"

Petra watched him in surprise, unable to find an immediate response. Of course her teammates would see right through her; she should have known that last night's odd lineup of events would have tipped them off.

Eld took a breath and crossed his arms over his chest, irritation present in his tone, "My guess is that Levi was angry after getting chewed out by Erwin so he took it out on you. He _knows_ he was being an ass, feels bad, and tried to make it up by letting you off the hook this morning, instead of just being a man and apologizing to you in person." Eld shook his head in disgust, "You know what? I'm going to talk to him. I get that you guys are friends but he needs remember that he-"

Petra shook her head quickly, "No no no." she corrected, looking up at Eld seriously and mentally trying to find a good starting point to explain the situation. Eld was perceptive, but his conclusion was wrong.

He watched her with an expectant stare, and Petra sighed, "No you misunderstand. Levi isn't the problem here, it's actually me, I-"

"Wait, he seriously convinced you that all his paperwork is suddenly _your_ fault? That bastard! I'm going to talk to him for sure, this is a new low for-"

"Eld will you just _listen_?" Petra snapped irritably, grabbing his arm and looking at him in frustration, "I _told_ you it's not Levi. It's not the paperwork. Hell it's not even his problem, it's mine. The only reason Levi was involved at all was because he's my_ Captain_, so just…stop jumping to conclusions and hear me out!"

Petra bit her bottom lip and shrugged, "I didn't plan on saying anything to you guys because for one I just found out, and for two it's already in the process of being corrected, but in short I was called into _Erwin's_ office last night because they received word that I was to be discharged from the Scouts this Friday."

Eld's eyebrows rose and his mouth fell open, and Petra merely nodded in understanding. His reaction to the news had been mild compared to her own response. She continued factually, "Apparently my father submitted a document stating that I was not permitted to extend my contract with the military, and my current contract comes to an end this week. Due to the fact that as a female my father has legal authority over me, my request to sign a new contract is considered null and void now that my father has officially spoken on the matter."

Eld shook his head slowly, "That...wow. Are you serious? I didn't know he could do that…But you said it's being corrected, so you're not _actually_ leaving are you? Tell me you're not leaving."

Petra shook her head slowly, somewhat lost in thought, "No, I'm not. The Captain…" Petra paused and tried to pick her words carefully, not ready to reveal the nature of _how_ she was able to stay just yet, "Levi found a way to get around it, so that's actually what he's doing today. I imagine he's working with Erwin this very moment to make it all official, but with there being such a time crunch to get everything done and submitted before Friday, it only makes sense that he's cancelled all our duties for the day."

Eld blinked a few times, rubbing his forehead in amazement and trying to process the overwhelming information he had received in such a small time window.

"…_Wow_."

"Yeah."

Petra gave a small laugh, giving a loud exhale and slouching in her chair, "So that's all it is. I mean, it's a_ big_ thing of course, and it's obviously overwhelming for me to process where I've admittedly shed a tear or two, but it's okay. Or, it's_ going_ to be at least. I am just trying to remember that things will go back to normal soon and I just have to ride it out until then."

Eld stood up from his chair, "Well I'm glad that it's being taken care of then, even if it is stressful in the moment. Do me a solid and don't tell Gunther or Oluo about how it wasn't the paperwork after all. I really could have sworn that-"

"You're up." A voice came from the hallway adjacent to the common room, and both Petra and Eld looked toward the sound automatically.

"Captain, welcome back." Eld greeted as Levi walked into the room, "Good news, Petra so graciously remade the coffee if you want any. It just finished brewing so it's still hot."

"Thank you." He acknowledged evenly as he moved toward them, grabbing a clean cup from the table and filling it with fresh coffee. Not looking at her as he spoke, Levi took a sip of the hot beverage, "Did you get any sleep?"

"A little bit." Petra responded truthfully, her stomach twisting in knots now that the Captain was there. His very presence only reminded her of what was to come, and while she accepted it, she felt very torn. She wanted to get things done and over with so she could put it all behind her, while at the exact same moment she wanted to linger and put it off, just a little bit longer. At the very least, she was glad Levi could not read her mind, as the mixed messages would without doubt drive him mad.

"Good. Do you have a spare minute?"

Petra's eyes went wide, though she chose her words carefully considering Eld was still in the room. She bit her lip and held the coffee cup tighter in her hands, a nervousness in her voice, "Are we…taking care of things now?"

Understanding her meaning, as well as her desire to not alert Eld just yet, Levi shook his head, "No, just reviewing things with Erwin."

She nodded mutely, and Eld cleared his throat, able to take the hint that he was no longer needed. "Well it seems you're required elsewhere Petra, thanks again for the coffee." He gave a single nod, "Captain."

With that, he walked out of the room, a silence settling over the area as they waited for Eld to move out of the room and out of earshot.

After being certain they were finally alone, Levi spoke first, his expression casual, "Does he know?"

Petra shook her head back and forth, "I told him about my father and the bind I'm in. I also told him that you're working on fixing it but…but I didn't exactly tell him how just yet. I figured I'd hold off on that conversation for a bit."

Levi studied her evenly, taking another drink from his coffee cup before sighing, "That may be for the best. They will find out later on today – keeping it a secret will only make matters worse in the long run – but telling them all at the same time versus one on one will help minimize the damage."

"Right." Petra agreed, falling in step behind Levi as they began moving through the halls towards Erwin's office.

"Oh by the way," Petra stated softly, needing to keep the conversation alive so her thoughts wouldn't run away with her, "Thanks for not making a big deal about my sleeping in. I know I should have woken up on time and I'm sorry that-"

"It's fine." Levi replied easily, "It's not exactly like this kind of situation is precedented. Besides," he looked toward her pointedly, watching her with a knowing expression, "You'll need a good head on your shoulders just to get through today, right? Would it have done any good to wake you up?"

His simple statement caused a lump to form in her throat, and she avoided his gaze and looked forward, having to actively reign in her emotions that threatened to overwhelm her again. Gods this was getting out of hand. She hardly ever cried in front of her team, let alone the _Captain_, but right now it seemed even the tiniest of things could trigger her emotions and she despised herself for it.

Levi fell silent, keeping his gaze on the path ahead while Petra seemed to war with her thoughts. For a few moments all that could be heard was the tap of their shoes against the tiled ground. He spoke again as they continued down the hall, his voice more quiet, "You can always change your mind you know, nothing is set in stone right now."

There was a slight, hollow laugh that followed his words. Petra shook her head sadly, a bitterness in her tone, "If I change my mind now, I may never be able to change it in the future, and that…that is unacceptable." She cleared her throat, bringing strength into her warbly voice, "Even still, I'm sorry that I'm struggling like this. I _want_ to stay strong, like you."

He glanced to the side and gave her an appraising look, a single thin eyebrow raised, "Like me?"

Petra nodded, looking into her coffee cup as she spoke, eyeing her blurred reflection on the liquid's surface that blurred and unfocused with each step she took, "Even though you're just as impacted by this arrangement, you're still going about the day like its business as usual. I guess that I…" she paused slightly, a shyness to her confession as she continued to avoid his gaze, "Well, I admire your self-control I suppose. You are so cool about all of this and I…" she trailed off, unable to finish her sentence.

Levi gave a single nod at her answer, but then gave a shrug, his voice casual once again, "That's because I don't expect much to change. The next few days will be hectic as we race to get the correct forms in the right hands, but after that I know things go right back to normal. We'll pick up our training where we left off and for the most part this entire thing will have been nothing more than a bump in the road."

He continued, staring ahead and not trying to force the ginger to look at him directly, "Not that I am one to tell you how to handle something like this, the fuck do I know about this sort of thing, but don't make it overly complicated. If you're set in your path, then there's no point in focusing on the costs you'll have to pay and being miserable as a result. If in the end you change your mind and go home, you don't have to worry about whatever happens within the Scouts, as it won't be your problem. Either way, your worrying does you no good here."

"And you Captain," she looked up slowly, notable concern in her gaze, "You are okay with this? You've been so focused on me and making sure that this is what_ I_ want, but you are an equal part of this. Are you certain that you're willing to go this far? You can always fill my spot if it comes down to it. And what's more, if you're married to me then…Captain, that will change everything for you too. I'm just…" she sighed as she found herself at a loss for the right words, shrugging in defeat, "It's not just me here, I'm worried about you too."

He returned her gaze squarely, a perturbed look on his face, "Petra. You _can't_ look at what you're giving up and expect it to hold the same meaning or value to me. I told you before, it's different for me. Married or single, I'll be in the Scouts either way. You don't need to worry about me or the impact this may have on my life; that's _my _problem to deal with – my _personal_ business, and such matters don't concern you. For now just focus on yourself."

Petra's eyebrows pulled down and she clicked her tongue at his statement, giving him a disapproving frown as frustration began to build within her. She studied him, her gaze testy as she watched him with unmasked disapproval, "Well that's a bit hypocritical don't you think, coming from the person who made _my_ problem, _their_ problem as well - to such an extent that it's even _more_ their problem now than it ever needed to be in the first place."

Levi eyed her narrowly, correcting her previous statement, "Like it or not it was my problem from the start. I'm your Captain. It was _my_ problem from the moment your father wrote that damned fucking letter. It was _my_ problem before you even _knew_ about it."

Petra was officially frustrated, gripping her coffee cup with enough force that it all but broke the handle off the curved ceramic, "All the more reason I should be considerate of your feelings! I don't want to take advantage of you, just because you feel _obligated _in your role as my commanding officer to somehow fix this. You_ know_ I don't have any options and I don't want you placing something like this on the table because you feel you _have_ to. I am simply here, trying to remind you that you don't have to do this! It's your choice just as much as it is mine, right? How dare you look down on me for trying to be a decent person and consider your feelings in all of this!"

They reached the door to the Commander's office, though instead of moving right in, they both stood idly in front of the door and regarded each other seriously, neither willing to budge in their argument.

A long silence fell over the pair and Petra eyed him in concern, "Captain, I'm worried this is just going to drag you down; that you are only doing it because you feel you have to – I can't accept you telling me to just worry about myself without any consideration for you. That's impossible. If _this_ isn't the time to be worried for you and consider your feelings on the matter, then when _is_ the time?"

He gave an exhale at her stubborn and persistent nature, feeling she was taking the whole thing far too seriously. It seemed only logical to him that he was comfortable with it – well, comfortable _enough_ at least - otherwise he wouldn't have offered such an arrangement in the first place, but Petra was too kind hearted for her own good and he was suspicious that she wouldn't be letting it go anytime soon.

He crossed his arms, giving her a stern look, "Well when you are my commanding officer, _then_ I'll be your problem. Until then however-"

Petra rolled her eyes, "Levi that's ridiculous. I could live a million lives before I ever outranked you."

"Well then," Levi grabbed the door handle and took a step forward into the room, not giving Petra the chance to respond as he moved into Erwin's office, "I guess you won't have to worry for quite some time then."

He left behind a gaping Petra, stepping fully into the room and calmly nodding toward his peers.

"Erwin, Four Eyes" he greeted plainly. A flustered Petra followed behind him, wearing an unpleasant, soured expression across her face.

"Ah Petra," Erwin greeted with his normal cheerful smile as she took a seat, paying no mind to Levi's childish nickname for Hanji, "I'm glad to see you're finally up for the day."

Petra's eyes widened at his statement, and she looked toward Levi for an explanation.

He shrugged passively as he crossed his arms again, returning to his seemingly favored spot of Erwin's office and slouching against the wall, "You were out for over three hours, what else was I supposed to say?"

Erwin chuckled at the insight to Petra's sudden embarrassment, and continued, "That's not the concern here Petra. I have come to understand that you had a…rather late-night last night. Care to tell me about it? In your own words of course."

She opened her mouth to speak but became slightly unnerved as she noticed how intensely she was being observed by all three of her superiors. All eyes were on her, as though they were hanging on her every word. For a moment the sudden seriousness concerned her, but then she realized they were needing to hear, from her own mouth, that she was consenting to Levi's proposal.

She took a breath of preparation and nodded, "Well, I had a hard time falling asleep, and that's when Levi came to my room to talk with me. He stated that, in short, if I were to marry, my husband would actually have the legal say from that point on, and my father's words about having to end my contract would be invalidated. To make this happen, he confirmed that he himself would be willing to marry me, and in doing so, I could stay in the Scouts."

Erwin nodded, watching her with a neutral expression, "That's rather drastic though, as I'm sure you're aware. A girl so young with her entire life ahead of her, you'd have to leave it all behind. It's nothing short of an arranged marriage if you look at it diplomatically. I know that not a lot of time has passed, but from what I understand you've already made up your mind. If I may Ms. Ral, so that there are no questions later regarding this series of events, what is your decision?"

"To stay." Petra stated matter of factly, knowing now was not the time to display any signs of doubt or indecision, and she continued just as pointedly, "I'm _going_ to stay in the Scouts Commander, and if marrying is the only way to make that happen, then so be it. If you need to hear it from my own mouth, then here it is:"

Petra allowed her gaze to shift until she was watching Levi directly. Her words were intentional as her gaze bored into him and she didn't miss the pleased gaze he watched her with in return, "I have accepted Levi's proposal, and consent to be his wife in exchange for a position in the military on his squad. That is my choice, if he'll have me."

A long pause followed her unmistakable, direct words of confirmation and Erwin studied her outright, the silence beginning to thicken as he tried to gauge the young girls resolve.

Petra, not unnerved by his scrutiny, pursed her lips and returned his intense gaze, as though daring him to tell her otherwise. She knew full well how extreme this was, and while it would be a lie to state she didn't care – she cared desperately – the fact was her mind was made up. If they wanted her to leave at this point, they'd have to drag her out kicking and screaming. Any pathway she had that would lead to her staying on her squad, _any_ option, she'd take it gladly.

Erwin turned his attention to Levi as though needing his confirmation, though Levi was still holding Petra's gaze for a long moment to such an extent he hadn't noticed Erwin's expectant stare, and the blonde almost smiled. Erwin cleared his throat lightly, "And you Levi?"

Levi shifted his attention back onto the Commander, "You already know my thoughts on the matter."

Erwin nodded and gave a long exhale through his nose, "Right."

He picked at some papers and paused for a long moment, looking up from his desk and watching her curiously, "In truth Ms. Ral, I am both impressed and concerned by your resolve. I'm not sure that I've ever seen such an act of devotion from one of our Scouts before. Am I correct to presume that any attempt to convince you otherwise will fall on deaf ears?"

Petra gave a smile at his implied concern, "I'm afraid that is correct sir. I know I'm young, and I won't stand here trying to say that I know what's best or that I won't have regrets later. But make no mistake, I know the costs, I know that this is a permanent arrangement that will follow me long after my retirement, but the truth is, being on the Scouts is _that _important to me. I can't think of anything that I'll ever want more than this, so if Levi can provide a way that I can stay, even if it means something as drastic as marriage… then I'm afraid I'm selfish enough to take him up on it."

Erwin took a deep breath and exhaled loudly, shaking his head as he did so, "Oh boy. The people on your squad Levi, how you even_ found_ people like this, I swear. The whole lot of you is certifiably insane."

Levi smirked at Erwin's assessment of his squad, though remained silent as Erwin laughed at the strangeness of it all, "Well Ms. Ral, if both of you are consenting, which it is very clear that you are, then I have no reason to stand in the way; I'll officiate the wedding later on today and put an end to this matter. I'm shocked to say this, but it seems like you'll be sticking around after all."

He stood up and leaned forward to shake her hand, "You're an _excellent_ Scout Petra, and fittingly enough, we are also selfish enough to keep you, even if the method is unorthodox like this. For what it's worth, I'm sorry that you have to go through this, but the fact you are willing to go through so much for our cause – you have my admiration."

She shook his offered hand, a blush rising to her face at the compliment, "Oh, well, thanks Commander, but really its Levi. He's the one who thought of it all, I'm just… along for the ride."

Erwin furrowed his eyebrows as if just remembering something, and turned his attention toward the Captain, "Speaking of which, are you all set on your end? You'll both need to get that taken care of right away."

Levi gave a single, silent nod, and Erwin looked back to Petra.

"Well in that case, I'm sorry to push you out the door Petra, but we've all got things to see to to make sure that this wedding is as legitimate as it should be; all the I's dotted and T's crossed and such. We don't want your father giving us any later surprises, so my goal is to make sure all our bases are covered. I'll start on getting the paperwork lined up, all the forms you both will need to sign, as well as dig through my materials for officiating a wedding. That's not exactly a common responsibility I make use of frequently, but at least having the authority has it's perks."

Erwin looked toward the back corner of the room toward Hanji, "Will you keep reaching out and making sure that all impacted personnel knows and understands the importance of processing each document the second it touches their hands? We will have the rest of today, all of Thursday, and Friday before end of day to get this all completed. It's certainly doable, but we can't afford any mistakes."

Hanji nodded, and Erwin gave a thank you, once again directing his attention between Levi and Petra, "No time like the present. Let's all plan to have the ceremony around one if at all possible. After that's done, Levi - I'll need you to come back here. We will need your signature on everything and then some."

"Is there something that I can help with perhaps?" Petra asked as she stood up from her chair, knowing that everyone was preparing to split paths after their conversation adjourned, "It would be bad if we did all this but still missed the deadline so if there's somewhere I can plug in..."

Erwin also stood up, shaking his head and smiling, "Sorry Petra, but this is an Officer's only ordeal. Besides, with everything you're already sacrificing for us, I think it's only fair that we take care of these details for you. Fear not though, if I had any concerns that we couldn't get this done on time, we wouldn't be doing this in the first place. Now then."

He looked toward Levi, "Have a safe trip into town and by the time you get back I'll have your team assembled in the lobby for you. Best to take the main roads, you'll get there quicker."

Levi nodded and was already walking out the door, "Fine. Let's go Petra."

She blinked at the abrupt end to their meeting, giving a cordial nod to the Commander and Hanji, before chasing after Levi, having to lengthen her stride to keep up with him, "We're going into town apparently? Um…what for exactly?"

"Shopping." Levi responded without missing a beat, "We need wedding rings."

Petra was surprised, pausing in step at his explanation, again struggling to keep up with him as she chased him down the hall, "Wait, for real? Uh, _real _wedding rings Captain?"

They walked out of the compound and turned down the pathway that led to the stable. Levi nodded seriously, "You heard the Commander. He wants everything as legitimate as possible so we have an indisputable case should your father challenge the legality of the marriage, down to the smallest of details. That means witnesses, a ceremony, and yes, actual wedding rings - I will wear mine daily from here on out, and I expect you to do the same."

Petra looked down at her hand, not having thought about wearing a wedding band before. Levi continued, "Like you said, it would be fucking stupid to go so far only for it to not work out in the end, so this is part of what we need to do before it's all signed and documented."

They neared the stable and Levi motioned with a nod of his head, "Now go get your horse, we're on a tight timetable."

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End of Chapter

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That's a wrap!

Okay, so *deep exhale and sits down* Yall gave me some GOOD questions last time around that I felt everyone could benefit from having answered (normally I'd just PM you directly) so without further delay…

**Question one:** Where is Eren and the gang?

In all my years of watching anime or reading manga, never in all my life have I disliked a character more than good sir Eren Yeager. It's not specific to any events happening in the manga, I've actually struggled from the very beginning. It's not what he does – its legitimately himself as a character.

Interesting Midnight trivia, it's extremely difficult for me to write and relate to characters that have this strange, overwhelming sense of justice. (Think superheroes, Gryffindors, most protagonists and main characters for example) To me there is no logic to their choices, and makes it impossible for me to relate to them. While I get Eren's upbringing and all he's suffered, he's crazy. He's very much 'Me. I. ONLY I CAN SAVE HUMANITY FROM THE TITANS. KILL ALL TITANS.' Like…._woah_. Seriously man? Destroy an enemy you know nothing about? On that note, when you do learn more about it - what makes your way the only right way? Is it so bad that people are content with their lives, Walls or otherwise? Oh you hate cattle? Cool. So because of that, you've taken it in your hands to shape every person's life the way YOU think it should be. (Because that's what a hero would obviously do.) Now, you and what army? And with what resources? Oh no army because you're you and you'll just make it happen somehow? But now you're crying? And now shouting? Yes I heard you, kill all titans. Got it. Aaaand now he's crying again.

#cantrelate #someonegetthatkidanoscar #whileyouredoingthatgrabmeadrink

All that to say it's not so much my dislike that makes it so I won't write him here, it's more accurate to say I _can't_. I really struggle to write his character because to me nothing he does makes sense, so it's all but impossible for me to accurately write out his actions/reactions. Whereas it's easy for me to write Levi, because I can clearly see 'if this happens, I can see him responding this or that way' but with Eren…my mind just blanks every time. He's too unpredictable; a sort of unbridled, megalomaniacal passionate Woo girl that makes me hit writers block harder and faster than Levi beats him at night.

More than that – if I try to bring in the main three it officially sets the timeline in the canon timeline of the story…and all do respect, but I REALLY don't feel like rewriting that steaming mess. It makes my own plot just too complicated to throw in the manga's overarching themes of, "What is the value of one human life" and the "Does the end justify the means"

Sorry Eren fans, but the official ruling is that he's not making an appearance here. If it makes you feel better, I will miss Armin quite a lot!

**Question Two:** What sort of story are we in for in terms of steamy explicit material?

Oh is that a good question indeed. The mere_ language_ in this story is certainly colorful enough (and frequent enough) to earn its M rating alone. Truth be told though, I had intended this to be a more, eh, stimulating read shall we say? Full disclosure though, nothing's actually been written out just yet. I find myself going back and forth in terms of what I want to write out, versus what I want to gloss over, metaphorically closing the curtains on our pairing and keeping the explicit material to a minimum, if I even chose to write out such content _at all _in this fic.

That in mind, let me actually ask you guys, considering we will hopefully be bumping shoulders for a while longer yet, would you actually_ want_ to have more detailed scenes that would make your parents blush and your pastor run for the holy water (Listen up Pastor Nick, they _are_ married!) – or would you rather me keep it more mild? In my mind, the mild version would be like…detailed making out, but from there it would get pretty obvious where things are going and I would end scene there and we can all collectively shield our eyes from these worldly impurities – that sort of thing.

So to you my reading audience - Explicit material, yay or nay? If you don't want to comment in your review, you are also welcome to PM me directly for your personal discretion! (We don't shame in these parts!) To be clear, I personally have no problem writing out those scenes because sex is a good healthy part of life and doesn't need to be this hush hush 'naughty' topic or an area people feel shame towards (I'm _extremely _passionate about this subject.) _but_ if the overwhelming response is thanks but no thanks, then I have no problem with that either :)

Thanks for sticking around and see you all in two weeks!


	5. The One with the Wedding Rings

Hello readers!

I'm sorry about being a day late! Yesterday was so hectic and it literally didn't even cross my mind until I was already in bed. Needless to say, I did not get out of bed just to post. Hopefully these twenty-four hours weren't too traumatic for yall.

Now, let me just say, yall are so very lucky that this update did NOT fall on April 1st – I really, seriously wanted to troll everyone and write up a short few thousand words that continued the story in a _seemingly_ natural direction, but then have it all go up in flames until it was an all-out (obvious) mess of fourth wall breaks, titan shenanigans, and anything goes sort of crack that would have had you all cracking up, while silently cursing me for pulling a fast one on you. Rest assured, this chapter is a legitimate chapter and is not in any way shape or form an April fools' prank. Scouts Honor.

On a separate note, THANK YOU for all your responses last chapter! I do want to clarify one thing for those who may have been concerned by my poll - rest assured that I'm_ not_ tugging at strings because I don't have a plot and I'm making it up as I go based off the responses – the plot is WELL ironed out from start to finish!_ But_ your feedback helps me tighten up bolts here and there along the way. Please, please don't worry about _any_ loss of direction; I'm rather confident that the content I'll create for you guys will not disappoint :)

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It didn't take too long to reach the nearby town at the pace they were traveling at. While it wasn't a breakneck sort of speed, it wasn't exactly a gentle stroll either. They traveled in silence and upon arriving in the town soon after, they found a local stable service to hold their horses while they shopped.

They walked into the town purposefully and Petra looked around the various store fronts, realizing suddenly with wide eyes that she had absolutely no cash on her.

She clamped her eyes shut and frowned, "Uh Captain…" she began, her stomach twisting in dread. He had made a point to stress that they were in a hurry, but the thought hadn't even crossed her mind to go back to her room and grab funds at the time.

He was going to _kill_ her.

"What is it?"

"I uh…well," she sighed, mentally preparing for the worst, "It's just that I left all my money back at the Compound. I don't know if we have the time to turn around or…"

Levi shook his head as he continued walking down the path, not caring in the least about her realization that she was broke, "Oh that? I'll be buying them. I actually intended to from the start, so don't look so traumatized."

"_You_ are buying them Captain?"

"That's what I_ just_ said. Is that a problem?"

"Well, it's just…this is all happening a bit fast."

"That _is_ the point."

He caught her glare, though continued undaunted, looking for the specific store that he was certain would have a decent selection of fine jewelry, "Listen. Being the one who approves your paychecks each period, I happen to know what you make, and know full well that it's significantly less than what_ I_ make as an Officer. I'm in a little better position to afford sudden expenses like this. Even if you _had_ brought money along, you're too poor to spend it on something like this."

Petra looked at him squarely, eyes narrowed at his statement, "If that's how you feel then you should give me a raise."

"I will when you _earn_ it, you shitty little peasant. Until then, I'm the only one here with the means to pay for it, and again, you're out of options." He smirked at her unamused expression and lack of an actual response, then nodded, "It's right up here looks like. If anyone carries a wide selection of jewelry, it'll be this place. Come on, let's get this over with and get back to the Compound. I don't want Erwin bitching at me because we're late."

Petra observed her Captain for a long moment, still attempting to find a smart remark or something to negate him and reiterate that she would at least pay him back or something, but coming up painfully short when faced with the reality that was her limited finances. She exhaled in defeat as he opened the door for her, staring expectantly at her until she moved forward begrudgingly into the store, "_Fine_, Captain."

They walked into the building, a metallic bell hitting the door with a loud ping as Levi shut the door behind them.

Petra's eyes went wide as she noted the kind of store they were in; it was the type where as a kid her dad would make her tuck her hands deeply into her pockets and stand against a wall in fear of her accidentally breaking something. Everything was insanely nice, and no doubt as equally expensive.

There was no way she could afford _anything_ from a store like this.

There were fancy tapestries, home adornments, intricate furniture pieces – Petra looked around the store with a gaping mouth, then turned her attention to Levi, almost wondering if he had gone into the wrong store by mistake.

Did he really intend on getting their rings from a place like this? Petra knew full well that even with all her money she wouldn't be able to afford it - what she wanted to know was how Levi _could_!

_Damn it all, she needed a raise!_

"Welcome, welcome!" a musical voice greeted them, and a beautiful woman in an elegant dress moved towards them, smiling brightly as she walked out from behind the counter, her dress swaying lightly against the floor as she walked.

"Well there's something - it's two of our Scouts, and not just any Scouts either. If I'm not mistaken, you sir are Humanity's Strongest, Captain Levi, correct? It's quite an honor!" the woman stated politely, a warmness in her expression as she continued toward them, stopping at a comfortable distance in front of them.

She gave a respectful nod and she gestured toward the various wares housed inside the store, "My husband is privileged enough to sell and disperse products from all three districts. We carry a variety of items as you can see – from dresses to fine China, he contracts artisans to create custom one of a kind furniture accents - we try our best to provide our community with luxuries and trinkets they couldn't normally get through traditional means. Is there something specific that brings you here? I _do_ hope you can find it, but if not we have a number of contacts that I can connect you with should the need arise."

Petra observed the woman for a moment, noting her curled and precisely pinned hair, the serene way she stood, as well as the intentional and articulate way she spoke – suggesting she was just as educated as she was beautiful. Petra was admittedly starting to feel a bit under dressed and embarrassingly plain when standing a mere foot away from the mature beauty, and she pulled at the edges of her white sleeves nervously, looking to Levi to take charge of the conversation.

He gave a single nod, looking around the store and furrowing his eyebrows as he observed the various displayed goods, "Jewelry actually. She and I are getting married and are needing wedding bands."

Hearing these words, the woman practically beamed, clapping her hands together in front of her face and smiling ear to ear, "Oh a wedding? You and this stunning lady, I'm just tickled pink for the both of you – congratulations!"

Petra had been staring at the floor previously, wishing she could just somehow blend into the wall, but after hearing the woman's assessment of her, her head snapped up, suspicious of foul play. _Stunning?_ That was a word for it alright. Her hair was _still_ unbrushed from this morning, her eyes had dark bags from the anxiety of the night previous, and she was certainly not wearing a beautiful floor length dress, rather an extremely unflattering and basic military uniform that was wrinkled and untidy from their hurried ride here. As she stood right now, there was not a stunning hair on her body.

Petra exchanged glances with the store's hostess, expecting to see a snide spark of sarcasm in the woman's eyes, subtly chiding her for her less than put together appearance, however she saw nothing but sincere excitement. Petra gave a silent exhale at the genuine charisma and charm the woman displayed, knowing her nerves were getting the best of her. She gave a sheepish nod toward the woman, fidgeting and smoothing out a wrinkle over her stomach.

"Thank you…" Petra whispered, having to clear her throat first to get any strength into her voice at all.

The woman folded her hands and rested them over her lap gracefully, a pleased smile falling across her pink and sheen lips, "We actually do have a collection of rings," she began as she turned back toward the counter and walked back across the room, "Though I must disclose that our supply is on the rather scarce side right now. Wedding season won't be starting back up for another few months or so, so I'm afraid that what we have now is what's left over from last season."

The woman bent below the counter and grabbed out two medium rectangular cases, setting them across the wooden surface of the counter before unlocking them each and turning them outward so they could be viewed.

She lifted the lid to display the rings, "But again, if you can't find what you're looking for here, we can always reach out to our contacts and see what they have. It's an odd season for merchants mind you, what with the winter months and all, but for people as important as yourselves, I don't doubt that we can find a number of vendors who will bend over backwards to make your dream wedding come true."

Petra was too busy looking at the rings to get caught up on the woman's notion of their 'dream' wedding, shocked to say the least.

If _this_ was what she considered a scarce collection, Petra didn't want to see what the full collection traditionally entailed. The two cases held about twenty different rings each, separated for each gender, and then organized further by row for the different metals or precious stones used in the ring.

There was a pause as the woman allowed them a moment to view her wares, "What are your initial thoughts? Is there any chance that your perfect wedding rings are here, or do I have some letters to write?"

Levi had leaned down slightly, observing the men's rings passively before standing up fully, "I'm not picky. Just about anything will do, nothing clunky that will get in the way."

The woman gave a fake offended huff, laughing amicably before moving her attention solely toward Petra, "Come now, you're making my job far too easy! How about we focus on the lady's ring first then? What is your name sweetheart?"

Petra looked up from the rings, the entire circumstance successfully bringing every ounce of awkwardness in her body to the surface.

"Oh, um, it's Petra." She responded with a surprising amount of difficulty, a blush rising to her face as she could feel the attention of both Levi and the woman fall squarely onto her.

The hostess nodded as a bright smile warmed her expression, "It's a pleasure Ms. Petra." She motioned toward the case, leaning down as she inspected the intricate rings carefully, "The way I see it my dear, if we find _you_ the right ring, we can then select a matching one for your fiancé right? Perhaps there's one here that catches your eye?"

Petra pressed her lips together nervously and looked back at the rings again, noting the beautifully twisted metals, the shine of the gems – rings with diamonds mostly – and the overall beauty of the presented wedding rings. Never in her life did she think she'd be wearing a ring like this, and this sort of 'just pick one' mentality was extremely overwhelming for her. How much did something like this _cost_ anyway? Even the most simple of rings would be far, far out of her budget, and knowing that Levi would somehow be the one footing the bill left her hesitant to say the least. What if she picked the most expensive one by mistake? She couldn't do that to him…but at the same time, she didn't want to insult him by purposely picking the cheapest one.

Where were the prices anyway? She had been too distracted by the rings to notice at first, but there didn't seem to be prices on any of them! How in the world was she supposed to know which one to select? Petra scanned the rings for a few minutes as the silence began to thicken, and then shook her head as she stood up fully.

The hostess watched her hopefully, "Well Petra, what do you think?"

Petra gave a half cough, half nervous sort of laugh, "All of the rings are just…stunning. You have, uh, _nice_ rings here."

The woman beamed again, "Oh I'm so glad you approve! Is there any you want to try on perhaps? I can grab the price list for you, I really should have asked what your budget was, I'm terribly sorry."

Petra shook her head again, knowing that it really didn't matter what the prices looked like, they would _all_ be mind bogglingly expensive. Perhaps it was better simply not knowing. She continued to scan the rings, thinking out loud as all the rings just seemed to stare back at her, "No, thank you, I just… There is no way I can choose…"

They were beautiful, truly, but it was all too surreal. It was just too much.

For a few more moments Petra tried to focus and select one that stood out to her. Like Levi, she didn't want something that would get in the way of her training, so the large rings were _definitely_ out – but which one would she choose then? Petra found the longer she looked, the more frustrated she became. The rings all started to look the same and it was impossible to tell one apart from the other. With a long sigh, she gave up and looked toward Levi, who was watching her casually.

She frowned, "Cap- uh, Levi." she corrected herself, deciding it was a good time to ditch his title, "I can't. You choose, just…anything. I promise I won't complain."

Levi's eyes widened at her request, and from the counter the woman practically swooned, clearly a sucker for all things romantic, "Oh that's so sweet Petra – I'll bet he has impeccable taste! And trust me, coming from a married woman, this will mean so much more to you, knowing that he picked out your ring himself."

The hostess turned her attention toward Levi, "And here we go then, I'll just slide this your way." she swapped the two cases so that the women's case was in front of him and Levi watched Petra for an extended moment as he continued to observe her in concern. He tried not to sigh in irritation.

Put simply, the girl looked like shit.

Petra was clearly uncomfortable with the entire situation, which was understandable considering it was bordering uncomfortable for _himself _as well, but her palpable nervousness set him on edge and made it that much worse. She was constantly fidgeting, couldn't say three words without stuttering, and seemed to wither if anyone so much as_ looked_ at her.

Levi pursed his lips and looked down into the ring box, annoyed.

He had been trying to be as considerate as he could be; he thought it would be best to give Petra as much control over the choices she_ did_ have regarding their shotgun wedding, but of course she had to make this difficult, becoming worthlessly indecisive at the worst possible moment.

He would never have dreamed that he would be the one picking her ring – had he known that this would be the turnout, he would have gone by _himself_ and spared everyone the irritation of dealing with an annoyingly timid Petra. What was more than that, even though she said she would be happy with 'anything', he felt the overwhelming need to pick the _right _one.

He observed the collection in a focused manner, attempting to select a ring that would suit her and finally be done with it.

He looked over the rings, weighing his options and debating what kind of ring a girl like Petra would actually want to wear. She had said_ all _of them were beautiful right? He could pick any one of them if that were true, but there was the matter of sizing to consider. They didn't have time to wait on the resizing for a ring that didn't fit, so grabbing one that was already the correct size was critical.

In terms of the way it looked, what would she want? Diamonds? Girls loved diamonds right, that was still a thing? They certainly were the most common for wedding rings, so that seemed like a safe option. However, he wasn't sure if a traditional diamond ring would actually suit her, for Petra was anything but common, and their marriage was far from traditional. If anything, he felt that her ring should reflect the embodiment of who she was – beautiful, but not flashy – subtle and unique. Dainty, yet not fragile.

He frowned, feeling that perhaps he was just over thinking things.

He scanned the rows again, looking at the various metals, the various shades of golds and silvers, the intricate metal work that made some more ornate and flashy - versus others that were more traditional; uncomplicated and humble, its beauty found in its simplicity.

He gave a long sigh and focused on one ring in particular that sat on the edge of the third row.

He pointed after a moment of contemplation, "This one."

He looked up as the hostess scanned the rows to find the one he was pointing out. Her eyes went wide, "This one here? Well I must say I'm surprised. That's no diamond ring obviously, but that has secretly been one of my favorites for a long time now. We've actually had it in stock for a while but no one has been able to appreciate it's beauty, well, until now it seems. Let me just grab it out here and, ah, here you are sir. Why don't you take a closer look."

Giving a nod and holding the small ring in his fingers, Levi took a moment to view it up close, now even more certain that it was as close to perfect as he could ever hope to find. It was a darker gold, like a bronze or rose gold sort of shade, and held a single, shining emerald at its center. While the gemstone was beautiful, more impressive than that was the metal work that adorned it to retain its simplistic design, yet in a way that was still unique and eye catching. There were metal ivy vines that curled around the band every which way and two intricate metal leaves sat on each side of the gemstone, giving the illusion that the ring was more of a blooming flower than an actual wedding ring; the feature that had caught his attention originally.

The deep green and ivy feel of the ring seemed very fitting for a member of the Scout Regiment, something Petra took extreme pride in, and more than that, the crystal-clear gemstone would match her bright viridian eyes perfectly.

"It's a beautiful choice to be sure, perhaps, would you care to try it on my dear?"

From beside him, Petra gave a subtle nod and the hostess looked back at Levi, giving him a small wink, "Wonderful. I'll let you do the honors, Captain."

He looked toward Petra, motioning toward her hand silently as he held the ring between his thumb and index finger.

He watched as she took a deep breath and presented her left hand upward, avoiding making eye contact with him as an embarrassed hue of red began to stain her cheeks.

He smirked at this, always finding it amusing how easily she became flustered or embarrassed, and moved to slip the ring on her finger until it sat proudly on her hand snugly, as though it had been made specifically with her in mind. The fit was perfect.

"What do you think?" he asked quietly, monitoring Petra's expression to try to get a good read on her thoughts.

She looked down at her hand, moving it closer to her face and flexing her fingers outward to better observe it.

Her lips parted slightly, and then she pressed them together again and sighed.

"It's…it's lovely, but…"

He frowned hearing the 'but', certain that he must have chosen wrong after all. So much for 'anything will do'.

Petra traced the ring with her fingers nervously, looking back at Levi uncertainly, "This place, this _ring_, it's all really nice and I do love it, but there's no way I'd ever be able to afford, I mean, it is beautiful and stunning and just…Wow. But-"

Ah.

It wasn't the ring itself; it was the _money_ she was concerned with. Typical.

"Petra we've already talked about this." He cut her off, knowing she'd babble on and on if he'd let her, and they had a schedule to keep to. He crossed his arms and watched her with a pointed expression, "Tell me this: do you _like_ it?"

She looked up at him squarely, at a loss for words, then gave a shy nod as she looked down at her hand again, the smallest of smiles twisting the edges of her lips upward, "…It's _beautiful_ Levi."

Hearing this, he released a breath he wasn't aware he had been holding onto and nodded.

That was all he needed to know.

Watching this interaction, grinning at the silent understanding that Petra's ring had successfully been chosen, the hostess gave a giggle, "Oh wonderful! That ring is truly one of a kind, and the fact it naturally fits you without even having to be resized, it's simply meant to be. Congratulations Petra, you will be the very picture of a beautiful bride on your wedding day! I have no doubt that ring will see you both through a lifetime of happiness!"

Petra was too busy admiring the ring to respond, and the hostess gave another laugh. It was obvious the gentleman knew his bride well; she couldn't take her eyes off it.

Allowing the girl to fully enjoy her moment, the hostess redirected her attention, "And that just leaves you, Captain."

She grabbed the opposite box and turned it back toward herself, scanning the rows and speaking out loud, "Based off her ring, I'd recommend…well _this_ one will match beautifully of course, oh this one might look nice as well – here's one that's a bit on the thin side if you like a more subtle approach – and let's grab one more for diversity sake, um…. ah, here we go. Tell me what you think of these?"

It wasn't much later that Levi was handing the kind hostess a large sum of money, Petra was gaping with wide eyes, and Levi was torn between rolling his eyes and smirking again at Petra's animated reaction. She would continuously look back at her hand, then the total cost displayed, then back to her hand, visibly trying to debate how such a small thing could possibly cost so much.

While amusing, perhaps her reaction was in fact justified, considering the total cost was more than half of her annual salary.

Levi wasn't one to brag as it had been the reality for him since he had learned to use a knife back in the Underground, but he supposed when it came down to it, he _was_ somewhat wealthy. Being in the Scouts where all his meals were provided along with the uniforms and all necessary materials for the job, there wasn't much he needed to afford. Being a high-ranking officer meant his paychecks were considerable, but with nothing to buy, most of it went straight into savings.

Even with the steep price tag of the well-crafted jewelry, the reality was that this purchase hardly put a dent in his finances. If anything, it was nice to finally have something to spend it on, and furthermore getting to watch Petra's reaction was amusing in its own right.

"Well then you two take care. Do be sure to stop in from time to time, newlyweds are among some of my favorite customers!" the hostess concluded as she handed the receipt to Levi with one last large, beautiful smile, "And again, congratulations to you both. You are such a lovely couple."

"Thank you." Levi stated simply, turning back toward the door and walking back into the street, a very shocked Petra following behind him.

"You can close your mouth now." He stated as they moved down the path, and he heard Petra scoff, and mutter a few broken syllables before giving up and falling silent again. It seemed she was still at a loss for words.

He cleared his throat, mind moving toward the next set of tasks that needed to be addressed, "Now when we get back, like Erwin said the squad is going to be gathered out in the lobby. This is so one, they can be brought up to speed on everything, but more than that, they can officially witness the ceremony – something else Erwin is really big on right now."

Petra exhaled and finally seemed to have found her voice, some of her nerves dying away now that a more serious conversation was at hand, "Well if anything he's thorough. And I have to agree, it's best we err on the side of caution here. Having witnesses is a wise idea, even if it is just the squad."

Levi nodded, "I was thinking it would be best if_ you_ told them about it all while I wasn't in the room, make it a bit less formal and-"

"Wait, what?" Petra stopped in her tracks, watching him squarely, "Why me? You know they won't take it well and you don't even want to be in the_ room_?"

Levi turned around toward her and crossed his arms, "Don't get me wrong, I can be there – I can lead the entire fucking conversation if that's what you want, but if they hear it from me they'll never believe that you _actually_ chose it. They would all suspect that I had, I don't know, somehow put you up to it or backed you into a corner to make you stay."

Petra frowned at his explanation and Levi continued, "Honestly I don't care _who_ tells them, nor does it matter what they think about it, but I had assumed that you would want the opportunity to explain it to them without my rank and regulation getting involved. If I'm there, they'll just nod and smile because they have to but will later come and pester you with their _real_ questions as soon as I'm gone. _You_ telling them from the start just saves time."

Petra adjusted the ring on her hand, spinning it every which way and admiring its shine when it caught the light just right before looking at the various stores and shaking her head as the silence extended, "No, no you're right. I just…" she groaned and made a face of distaste, "Eld's going to have a cow, and gods help me, you _know_ Oluo will have something inappropriate to say. They never listen to me about these kinds of things. I may have to throw a few punches just to get them to take me seriously..."

"Permission granted," Levi stated and resumed walking, "Just no broken bones."

Petra smiled at his response as she started after him, but quickly grew concerned after noticing that there was not a hint of amusement in his expression - suggesting that his response was not an attempt at humor, rather _legitimate_ permission to resort to violence if she felt it would actually play in her favor.

She fell silent again, somewhat mortified at how easily she had been given the green light to assault her teammates. Granted, that _was_ Levi's go to method of getting their attention as she had witnessed her squad mates take quite an assortment of abuse over the years, from kicks to punches to head-butts – the worst she had ever received was a firm slap to the back of the head after some of her more stupid decisions – but her teammates hadn't faired nearly as well.

Hopefully it wouldn't have to come to that…

_But she would keep it in mind._

She caught up to him, once again catching herself fiddling with the ring on her hand and deciding to put her hands in her pockets for the time being, as she was starting to feel silly. "So, we ride back to camp, I tell the guys, and then…?"

Levi looked straight ahead, "Then we get married."

The weight of his words needed a moment to settle, for both of them so it seemed. Petra suddenly found herself staring into the ground for a moment as her stomach twisted in tight knots, and Levi made a strange sort of face and shook his head at the sheer absurdity of the entire situation.

After a slightly uncomfortable pause, Levi forcibly cleared his throat and continued, "Erwin said to meet up at One if possible, but we will end up being late if the guys give you too much trouble. Either way, I'll pull the plug myself before it comes to that. You can say your peace, answer their questions or whatever, but if they still have more to say about it they can take it up with me personally."

Petra quirked an eyebrow, a slight grin on her face, "No broken bones?"

Levi's expression darkened, "…We'll see."

...

* * *

End Of Chapter

* * *

…

*plops down onto couch*

If you are reading this, it means I survived my first ever half marathon! Would you believe it, Midnight is a mom by day, writer by night, and a runner I guess…by the afternoon? Either way, I did it! I'm a nice and eh, plump size (gotta outlast my enemies!) so running 13.1 miles was a real challenge but I killed it! Two hours and twenty eight minutes! Not bad at all :D

More random Midnight facts, FYI this is probably my _personal_ favorite section of all that I've written so far to date for this series. (I'll have to ask the husband what his is, as I'm not actually sure!) I am seriously obsessed with the shop keeper! She reminds me of that perfect character you can't hate because they really are just THAT perfect…but some part of you does hate them anyway and you don't know why, so you in turn hate yourself because only a terrible person would hate such a perfect person? (Tell me it's not just me.) So just all the interactions of such a wonderful, soulful human being are like heaps of coal on sweet Petra's head and it is such a fun foil for our unwitting couple – a perfect stranger who has no idea the terrible situation that both of them have kinda fallen into, so when they're like a wedding, she's all, Weddings? Oh I love weddings! Drinks all around!

…And neither really have the heart to correct her because at least _someone_ is happy about it. Those type of interactions, ones laced with irony that play in the readers favor, that's my cup of tea and I got more than my fair share of amusement both writing and reading it.

Wheelllp - Till next time,

Midnight signing off! See you in a few Mondays :)


	6. The One Where Petra Reveals All

Happy, happy Monday!

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend – got lots of treats in their Easter Baskets, whole nine. Me, I played outside a lot with the family, had to wrestle my son in attempts to get him to take a nap as he was convinced naps are for peasants, and ended up getting a NASTY sunburn after playing one too many games of beach volleyball.

So pretty much, it was an epic day. Battle wounds people - we won_ all_ three games.

I'll be quiet now. Yall get to reading :)

...

* * *

...

They made their way back to the compound and Petra dismounted from her horse nervously, leading her horse back into the stable and ensuring she would be properly cared for before moving back to Levi who was waiting just outside the stable for Petra's return.

She moved in front of him and slid the ring off her finger before handing it to him carefully so she didn't drop it, "You'll need this for the ceremony."

Levi nodded and took his ring off as well, placing them both into his inner jacket pocket, "I'll be in Erwin's office if things get out of hand. If you're not finished by one o'clock, I'll come and shut it down. We need the day to keep moving."

Petra cleared her throat and took a deep breath, eyes narrowed in determination as she looked at him squarely, "It won't come to that. I'll take care of it."

Levi nodded in return, relieved to see the more confident side of Petra finally emerging in comparison to the timid and stuttering Petra that had been in the shop. Without another word, she gave a nervous smile that read 'Wish me luck!' before moving past him and into the building.

As Petra opened the door and started down the hall towards the lobby where her squad would be waiting, she felt some of her previous inner fire die. It was a lot easier to talk big and say 'I'll take care of it' so easily, but the truth was her squad outnumbered her, were all older than her, and also had more tenure on the squad. Furthermore, they were all overly protective of her – a result of her being the only girl on the squad- and explaining to them the predicament she was in, as well as_ how _she intended to get out of it- would not be a simple matter.

"Oh Petra's back!" she heard Oluo state as she walked into the lobby, and she gave a slight wave toward her assembled team.

She gave an insincere smile as she joined her comrades, walking at first towards her chair, then decided that it may be best to remain standing for the time being.

Gunther looked toward her, "We were getting worried about you – sleeping in so late, then disappearing again with Levi for so long – it made us worry that things weren't going to work out after all. You're not off packing, right?"

Petra wasn't sure how Gunther would have known of her situation, unless – her attention turned to Eld in question.

He shrugged as he looked toward her, a slight apologetic smile on his face, "Sorry, but I told them about your dad and everything. Hope you don't mind."

Petra nodded toward him, her question answered, "No, it's fine. It helps actually; saves a bit of explaining."

Eld looked relieved, "I'm glad. I wasn't sure if it was supposed to be kept on the down low or not, and by the time the thought had occurred to me I had already talked with everyone about it. So…sorry about that, I was just really worried. Anyhow, when's the Captain getting here? Erwin said he had an announcement or something? I presume just the official 'You're not leaving the Squad after all' sort of thing?"

Petra took a breath and tried to collect her thoughts.

_Here we go._

"Actually guys, Captain won't be joining us. It's actually my, well, his…no, _our_ announcement, I guess. We thought it best that I be the one to explain it, so you guys could hear it directly from my mouth and know how things are."

A quiet confusion fell across the room and her teammates watched her in question. Petra exhaled and continued, "Like Eld probably told you, my father sent in an official document stating that at my terms expiration I was to be discharged from the military, so come Friday my time in the Scouts would have been done, considering that my father is still viewed as legally responsible for me. Also, like Eld may have told you, Captain was able to find a work around of sorts – so the root of the story, and the most important thing that I need you all to understand is that it is once again _my_ choice whether I stay in the military or not, and above all I choose to stay."

The squad exchanged glances, wordlessly communicating that of course she was choosing to stay, that was nothing new, holding such a meeting for something so obvious was clearly not necessary, and gave her looks that suggested they expected nothing less from her, so if that was all, she could finally sit down and not make it seem so dramatic.

She continued, trying to bring strength into her voice, "What Eld _didn't_ tell you – what I didn't tell Eld – was _how_ I am going to stay."

Their expressions changed again, from minor annoyance to gradually building concern.

Like she had originally, it was likely that they had also assumed some loop hole or various connections were being used -wondering how she was getting to stay most likely hadn't crossed their minds, but the notion that there was more to the story had finally perked their interest.

"As long as my father is viewed as legally responsible for me, I have no options. There isn't an appeal process and I don't have time to run home and try to get him to change his mind. But that's where the Captain thought that…" she paused and looked to the floor, digging at the tile with her shoes and she mustered up the courage needed to reveal the truth of her situation to her nervous comrades, "Well, he realized that if he and I…"

She paused again, feeling the heavy stares of her squad mates weigh on her, wordlessly urging her to just get it out already.

She cleared her throat, "He realized that if I were married, my father's previous statement wouldn't stand, as the head of household would be my husband, and not my father."

There was a long, long silence as they anticipated the direction the conversation was taking, but cautiously waited it out in hopes they were wrong.

Petra looked up toward them directly, "So...the Captain and I are getting married."

Another long, long silence fell across the room, and Petra could only stand and watch each of her squad mates warily, allowing them each the time to process the sentence that finally confirmed their suspicions.

Gunther seemed to have found his voice first, and he crossed his arms, voice guarded as he watched her seriously, "You _are_ joking right?"

She merely shook her head, and Eld stood up with a snap. He walked toward her, stepping directly in front of her and grabbing her forearms, as though he were preparing to all out shake her. He leaned down, matching his eyes with her.

He was_ not_ happy.

"Petra, you're serious? _That's_ how you're going to stay on the squad, by marrying the Captain? You haven't stopped to think that, oh I don't know, marriage is _permanent_ and you're being on the Scouts_ isn't_? Have you considered that this course of action is just a little on the _extreme _side?"

From behind Eld, she could hear Oluo add in, "Yeah. I didn't know you and Levi were like that anyway."

Petra shrugged out of Eld's grasp, taking a step away from him and trying to give each of her teammates a firm look to stop any rumors before they got started, "Alright. Listen well, all of you. We're _not_ like that. You guys know the Captain as well as I do, he avoids people like they have the plague and I'm certainly no exception to that – and at the very least I hope you know _me_ well enough to know that I wouldn't sneak around like that behind your guy's backs. There isn't a romantic relationship between us, and furthermore there isn't _going_ to be. This is strictly professional. He's not marrying me to get into a relationship, or vice versa. It's_ just_ business - a way for me to stay in the military. _That's all_."

Eld groaned, crossing his arms and looking down at her sternly, "A very clear indication that you should not be marrying him! He doesn't love you, you don't love him – Petra you're making a huge mistake."

"Maybe!" She agreed hotly as she looked up toward Eld defensively, beginning to feel frustrated with her squad mates who were practically brothers to her at this point, "Maybe I am, but at least it's _my_ mistake and my choice to make. Guys you…you just don't get it!" Her voice was raised at the end, to an extent that they all watched her with raised brows. Her voice had cracked, and she took a deep breath, moving toward the table and finally taking a seat.

She didn't want to fight with her team, and she understood their surprised reactions, but a part of her was foolishly thinking they would help support her through this time – not give her the third degree or accuse her of sleeping around with their own Captain. She wasn't sure if she wanted to scream, or cry. Couldn't they see how exhausted she was? Did they not understand how hard this was for her? That she wasn't too stupid to count the costs?

She placed her head in her hands and stared down at the table, trying to force herself to remain in control and not breakdown again. The ceremony was only moments away and she had to keep it together. She couldn't risk Erwin feeling that she was unsure and decide against it.

She couldn't go home. Not like this.

She took a few deep, steadying breaths as she tried to calm her mind.

Gunther and Oluo looked down at Petra, then over toward Eld for help, knowing that between all of them, he would be the best suited to talk Petra out of her extreme course of action. It seemed they were_ all_ agreed that Petra marrying the Captain was a recipe for disaster. The blonde gave a conspicuous nod and moved toward her.

"Petra, listen…" Eld began gently, taking a seat beside her and continuing, "Emily means the world to me. Meeting her, dating her, falling in love with her – it has been just as much of an adventure for me as being on the Scouts has been. What's more, knowing that I'll get to marry her soon fills me with tremendous pride. Just knowing that one day soon she will be my wife, the future mother of our children – my _everything,_ Petra it's a feeling that I can't describe to you, but it's _worth_ it for you to experience for yourself."

Petra had bowed her head even lower into the table, making it impossible to read her expression. Eld prayed his words were getting through to her, and continued, "I get that you want to stay on the Squad, I know how important it is to you, but you're selling yourself short here I think. For yourself, _for your future_, please reconsider. Petra, we all care about you, and we're telling you – this is _not _a good idea. Being out of the military may hurt for a while, but as time moves on, you may find that having so many options – different careers, places to live, people to meet, I promise it won't be so bad. You'll be happier in the end. Don't solve a temporary problem with a solution that's this permanent."

Petra sat back up slowly, her expression mournful, "Guys, please, _please_ listen to me. That's what you don't understand - if my Dad is willing to force me back home in such a way, there's really no telling what else he might do if he feels its 'for the best'. As I am right now, I have no options. I have no rights. I can't choose my future, and it's very likely that I may forever be told what to do, when to go, and how to do it. As I am now, regardless the fact that being in the military is the only thing I want out of life right now, I don't have the ability to choose that for myself, no matter how badly I might want to – so you're wrong there, Eld. I will _never_ be happy living that sort of life."

She paused and took another deep breath, "But if I _were_ to marry, that changes things. Levi has already said he wouldn't step in the way, so if I do indeed marry him, I have a potential future that doesn't exist elsewhere. My father won't have the authority to dangle over my head anymore and I will forever be free to actually _choose_ my own fate." She sat back up in her chair, "And for that, I'll do anything. Nothing you guys say can convince me otherwise."

Oluo opened his mouth to speak, but Petra cut him off, raising her hand gently, "Please. Just don't make this harder than it has to be guys, I'm _exhausted_. It's been the longest twenty-four hours of my life, and I get that you don't support my getting married like this, but at the very least, I expect you to support the fact that I am making this decision for myself. It's not Levi or my dad or anyone else – I've counted the costs, I know what's at stake, and I've accepted it. This is what _I_ want."

There was another long pause, and her teammates exchanged worried glances, no one quite sure what to make of Petra's explanation.

"…So you're really going to do it? Even though he's our Captain, our direct superior, that doesn't bother you? Petra its…_Levi._ You're really going to_ marry_ him?" Oluo asked quietly, both fear and concern evident in his expression.

Petra nodded numbly, and Oluo _tsked_ with his tongue, grumbling a few choice phrases to himself and falling relatively silent again.

Gunther shook his head with a sigh, watching her directly with an unmasked scowl, "I don't like it Petra, not one bit. I respect your decision, but I wouldn't feel right if I didn't tell you at least once that I think you're making a bad call here."

She nodded in understanding, asking cautiously, "Are you going to make my life hell because of it? Not that I can do anything either way, but…"

Gunther shook his head pensively and looked down into the table in contemplation, "No, what's done is done. Or, _will_ be done I suppose. I'll tell you flat out that I don't approve, but I know that you're stubborn enough that my two cents don't matter either way, and I certainly can't complain that you'll be staying on the squad. I like you well enough, and I can't make a cup of coffee to save my life. I'll count my blessings that you are so devoted to this team, but just know that I've officially marked you down as being one crazy ass bitch."

She gave a halfhearted chuckle, knowing it was Gunther's way of saying that things were going to be okay between them. It wasn't perfect, but it was an encouraging start.

Petra turned her attention to Eld, who still watched her with hard eyes.

"Eld?"

He quirked an eyebrow and shook his head in anger, confirming that he would not be as easy to sway.

Petra sighed, pleading with him, "Don't do this. I know it seems drastic but give it time - things will go back to normal I promise! You guys won't even notice – neither of us are trying to get involved or anything so it'll just be like a mere formality more than an actual like, _marriage_."

Eld looked at her in surprise as though she were lacking basic common sense, lips pulled back in disgust, "Is that seriously what you think? That you will sign a marriage contract and everything goes back to normal? Petra you're fucking marrying _Levi Ackerman_, this changes everything! That's our Captain, and you'll be his _wife_. The fact you're just sitting here so coolly like it's just another task we've been assigned to complete - have you even thought this through at all?"

Petra held his eye contact directly, her voice taking a dangerous edge, "Eld. I respect you as my superior, and you know that your opinion means the world to me – but I will not tolerate you treating me like I'm a child. _Of course _I've thought it over. _Of course_ I'm aware that this is a drastic change. But you know what? I. Don't. Care. It's what I have to do to stay in the Scouts, and if you were a _real_ friend, you would try to find a way to be supportive – not belittle me and grill me as though I hadn't thought about the impacts this will have on _all _of us. We're a five man squad, we've trained for years as a five man squad and thanks to this marriage, it's going to _stay_ a five man squad. Why can't you just be happy that I'm staying on the squad in the end; why does the _how_ even matter to you?"

The two stared at each other for a long moment, and Eld sighed, his voice quieter as he tried to speak in gentler tones that would only reach her ears, "Petra, I care about you. Not like I do for Emily, but I care all the same. You can't tell me that you're content with this. _He doesn't love you_."

Petra gave a slow nod, her voice quiet and some part of her also wished that she was speaking with Eld privately, considering her relationship with Eld was a little more personal than it was with Gunther or Oluo, "I know it sucks, I've cried, I'm devastated, this is _not_ my first choice but at the end of the day…this is my life right now. Yes, marrying Levi will be a loveless, political marriage but I'm _okay_ with that. I just want to stay."

Eld shook his head bitterly, "See you're _saying_ that, but I know you better, and that's why I can't support this. I want you to find happiness and I can't see Levi being able to support you in a way that will ever make you happy. I'm sorry Petra, but my opinion won't change."

Petra was attempting to find a response that may finally win him over, or at least bring him to an amicable agree to disagree – but Oluo spoke first, his uncanny ability to speak out of turn actually playing in her favor for once.

"Well shit, you've got me beat in terms of loyalty, Petra. If it were _me_ and the Captain asked if I would-"

"I'd sooner eat Titan shit than actually propose to _you_, dumbass." Levi's voice rang through the room, and Oluo gave a slight yelp in surprise, turning his head every which way before finally finding the Captain, and he fell silent very fast.

Levi moved into the room and crossed his arms, "It sounds like Petra briefed everyone then. Like I'm sure she stated, I intend that things on the squad will remain as close to the same as possible. Naturally there will be some differences that we can't avoid, but-"

As Levi began to walk in the room, Eld looked toward him darkly and moved toward him step for step until they were standing directly in front of each other in the center of the room.

Levi looked up at him squarely, not appreciating this clear challenge to his authority, and his expression darkened. From his peripheral vision, he saw Petra sit back down in a defeated manner, putting her head in her hands and shaking her head. Levi looked back to Eld in heightened irritation.

Apparently, her explanation hadn't gone over well then.

He couldn't say he was surprised, but he had been hoping that his team would take things somewhat gracefully. As reality would have it, there always had to be one that muddied the waters, although he would have expected _Eld_ to be the last one to make any additional trouble for Petra.

His voice was guarded, "Is there a _reason _you're standing three inches from my face Eld?"

"Call it off." Eld stated immediately, his voice quiet and low. Had it not been for the fact the room had fallen dead silent at the obvious storm brewing, his hushed voice would not have been heard by anyone else.

Eld continued angrily, "She can't marry you if you don't consent to it, and you can't possibly think it's wise to put her in this position Levi. You can't string her along with you for the rest of time because you're too selfish to let her go home – offering such an arrangement to start with, you've got _no_ right."

"_Excuse_ me?" An irritated Petra called from behind him, her head shooting up from the table as she glared toward him. Though he had heard her, even though they_ all_ had, the two males merely stared at each other tensely, ignoring her as they regarded each other with rising tension.

"I'm not forcing her to do anything," Levi responded with a deceptively calm tone, his voice taking a suddenly sharp edge as his patience waned, "And I _suggest_ you get out of my face before I _make_ you." There was a slight coil in the Captain's posture, as though he was merely waiting for the right trigger that would justify him making good on his threat.

Eld noted this, but still leaned lower toward the shorter male, crossing his arms and mirroring the Captain's tense glower, "Here's a question Captain, why did you offer such an arrangement to begin with? Could it be that you _knew_ she would do it, even if there was nothing in it for her? I didn't think you'd sink to something so low, underhanded even. She deserves to have a full life but, apparently, _you don't think so_."

Levi gave a huff, irritation radiating off of him at being challenged so outright by his subordinate in such a disrespectful and public manner. His entire squad was right there, witnessing his second in command throw taunting words that were clearly meant to bait him. It was certainly working.

Levi leaned forward toward Eld, his voice held almost a taunting sort of tone, "What's the matter Eld, are you jealous?"

Eld stammered in disgust at the accusation, "Wha- no! You know full well that I'm in love with my fiancé, don't turn this into-"

"Well then Petra becoming a married woman shouldn't concern you. Back the fuck off." Levi reasoned simply, cutting Eld off before he could justify himself further.

Before either had the chance to continue, an enraged Petra pushed the two of them apart and wedged herself between them, glaring in obvious and undisguised anger, "That's _enough_, both of you!"

Her face was glowing red at her feuding squad mates' antics, to such an extent that they both fell silent immediately.

Petra whipped her head back and forth between them, eyes narrowed as she berated them, "How_ dare _you talk about me like I'm not even in the room! I'm not an object, I'm a fucking _person_ and I refuse to be treated like I'm anything less, do you both understand?"

Levi merely rolled his eyes, though gave a cautious, simple nod after her glare lingered on him particularly, and she continued, voice still retaining all its malice. "Absolutely no fighting over me - _again_, like I'm some sort of property. That kind of mentality is what got me in this mess to begin with and I will not tolerate it from either of you." She paused, dropping her arms that had been previously pushing the two males apart, setting them at her sides and popping out a hip. She shook her head, "This day is messed up enough as it is without your stupid testosterone induced fight."

She gave an exhale as she observed Levi, having thought his self-control would have prevented him from being goaded by Eld so easily, but apparently not. The fact he was so quick to pick a fight instead of hearing him out or trying to explain things was frustrating. Such an approach would only make more rumors spread in the long run, but she supposed she shouldn't be surprised – that was just how Levi operated and she knew it from the start.

She turned so she was facing Eld directly, "Now listen up Eld, and everyone else. Captain is allowed to do whatever the hell he wants and doesn't have to answer to you because aside from the fact he's our _boss_, he's also a grown adult who can make their own choices, same as me. Furthermore, I don't appreciate you grilling him like he's taking advantage of me or something. This is _my_ choice to make. Not yours, not the government's, not my father's, _mine_. You don't have to like it, you don't have to agree, but getting all up in our faces like this, as though you are some self-appointed guardian, is way out of line. If Levi and I both agree then that's all there is to it - your opinion just doesn't matter. You've all had the opportunity to say your peace, so _back the hell off_."

There was a long, sad sigh as Eld looked at her dejectedly, "But Petra if you would just-"

"Stop Eld. I'm done." Petra cut him off, glaring in a manner that confirmed there would be no further discussion on the matter.

She shook her head and tried to clear her mind, not sure if her attempts of explaining it to her team had gone better or worse than expected, but at the very least she was grateful it was over. She turned her attention to the Captain, silently granting him permission to take over. She had done her part and would not mind stepping out of the limelight for a few moments.

He cleared his throat, addressing his squad the same manner he always did – deciding to let Eld's little stunt go for the time being, in light of the rather unique circumstance. "You'll be acting as official witnesses of the ceremony. Once we get everything signed and documented, consider your duties completed for the day. As for going forward, Eld, I expect you to lead the squad through our basic conditioning routines for tomorrow as well as on Friday. I'll be working with Erwin and Hanji on all the documents and won't have the time to spare, so if things come up, you can all go to Eld or another Captain if the need arises."

He looked around the room, "Does anyone have any questions about that?"

A silence passed between the squad, and Oluo coughed, looking around and trying to lighten the still too tense atmosphere, "Mozel Tov? I guess?"

Gunther gave an immediate half snort, though seemed to feel that it wasn't an appropriate response as he quickly sobered his reaction, giving a serious nod to Levi and Petra, "Oh yeah, um, congratulations."

The Captain rolled his eyes, "…Just get moving."

As the group started heading toward the mentioned conference room, Levi watched Eld sharply in silent challenge, though his second in command merely shook his head in irritation, his eyes promising it wasn't over, and walked after his peers in silence.

Petra had also started after them, though Levi reached out quietly, pulling on the back section of her leather harness, causing her to stall in step, a surprised sort of squeak coming from her at the new pull of direction.

She looked toward him in question, waiting until the guys were a good distance away before speaking, "Uh Capt-"

He took a step toward her, closing the distance between himself and her and looking down at her expectantly. His voice was hushed and he watched her intentionally, "Last chance Petra, is this really what you want?"

She looked up at him, a slight blush rising to her cheeks at their close proximity and the hushed tones he was using. She gave a slight smile and nodded shyly, "I've made my choice. Come on Captain. We shouldn't be late to something like this, right?"

His expression hardly changed, though there was a warmth of amusement in his eyes. He sighed, "I guess not."

…

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End Of Chapter

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...

Spoiler alert if the above wasn't enough to tip you off, but guys…next chapter is THE big event! *insert confetti canons here*

I am so, so excited and I can't wait for you guys to read it come the next update. I've said it before, by you guys have been such a wonderful and encouraging audience and I truly look forward to putting up content for you. For example, last week I have written over forty _thousand_ words alone for just this story. (That's roughly five to seven chapters worth!)

I look forward to the plot arcs to come, look forward to you guys meeting new characters – good stuff on the horizon guys, good stuff indeed. I hope you have an awesome few weeks and as always, see you at the next update!

Midnight


	7. The One Where Everyone wears White

Hey everyone!

I've been sitting here, writing off and on throughout the day and considering I've got a rather busy lineup tomorrow, I thought it would be the perfect time to just update a day early instead. To those who have been along for the ride since the beginning, say a prayer because the time has finally come. Say it with me now: **Praise the Walls!**

I gotta say the comments have been a little, eh, lacking these last few updates which has kinda been surprising to me (where has the reading community gone? Yall been reading too much of that _manga_ and let me just say, it's too bloody depressing so you're better off here!) – but for my regular readers who have something to say every chapter, know that your encouragement seriously means the world to me and I am thrilled to keep bringing you new, thoughtful content that is worth your time (and patience!).

So. Without further delay, without any more bumps in the road or exposition we need to sift through - here is THE chapter you've all been waiting for.

Enjoy.

...

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...

They had gathered into the small conference room where both Erwin and Hanji were waiting.

By the time Levi and Petra had walked into the room, Hanji had already moved toward the members of Levi's squad, pointing out the lines at the bottom of a large formal document and demanding their signatures as official witnesses.

"Make sure it's legible please, oh and don't forget the date!" she pressed as she peered over Oluo's shoulder, pointing out the missed section and ignoring the cursing that followed her sudden micromanaging.

"Levi, Petra, welcome." Erwin greeted nonchalantly, barely sparing a glance toward them as he reviewed some further paperwork in a focused manner. He waved a hand, "Just a second. While Hanji's getting that taken care of, I'll give everything one last review and we'll get started."

Levi nodded mutely, and Petra also shook her head in quiet agreement, taking a deep breath and trying to calm her suddenly racing nerves. She looked around the room as she toned out the chatter around her – Hanji pointing out a 'T' that wasn't crossed in Gunther's name, Gunther insisting that it was _his_ signature and he never crossed it to begin with – and she gave a slight sigh.

It was a simple room that she was actually rather familiar with, the conference room being a popular choice for meetings and classroom style training. There were a few chairs, a desk that had been pushed off into the corner, and a dingy chalk board that had residual white dust smeared across its pale green surface. The walls were plain and scuffed from the floor to the ceiling, and various diagrams were pinned up for display, like the various Titan heights, articles regarding 3DM safety, and the Scout's wings of Freedom emblem.

Petra frowned, coming to the realization that this was where, and how she was getting married.

This wasn't a stained-glass chapel like she had dreamed, her father wasn't holding her hand and whispering reassuring phrases in her ear – hell, her father didn't even _know_ she was getting married - and she was wearing her bulky, clunky old riding boots that were still muddy from her previous outing into town.

In her standard uniform, she didn't stand out in the slightest and actually _blended in _amongst her uniformed peers. Petty as it was, it didn't escape her notice that everyone, absolutely _everyone_, was wearing white.

Petra put her hands into her pockets, feeling a wave of embarrassment and shame wash over her after realizing just how plain and simple a bride she turned out to be in the end. Not that she thought of herself as particularly stunning or overly attractive, but she had thought that at least on her _wedding_ day, she would make a beautiful bride.

She had clearly thought wrong.

Petra bit her bottom lip, attempting to keep it from trembling from the undeniable disappointment she was feeling.

It wasn't any one's fault and she certainly didn't want to make the Captain feel guilty considering he was doing more than enough as it was – but still. More than anything, she just wanted to get it over with so she could go sulk in her room, safe and out of the public eye.

It was then that Petra noticed Eld's heavy gaze on her, a displeased and suspicious frown falling across his face as though he could read her very mind, and Petra averted her gaze elsewhere, looking at the opposite end of the room and straightening her posture defensively, hoping that her body language would successfully send him the 'mind your own business' vibe. She heard him sigh in irritation, though before he could act further, Hanji directed everyone to sit down quietly so Erwin could get started.

If Eld _had_ intended on making any more of a fuss, his opportunity had passed. No one would dare defy Erwin directly. Not only would Erwin be quick to shut down any radical elements, but Levi would also ensure there would be_ hell_ to pay for choosing to misbehave in front of his direct superior.

Hanji moved toward them intentionally, "Alright Levi, you stand up there…" she pointed, directing Levi to stand closer toward Erwin, where a traditional groom would stand. The scientist turned back towards Petra next, "And Petra, um…well there's not really an aisle to walk down. I suppose if you wanted, we could move these chairs over and-"

Petra shook her head quickly, certain that if they tried to turn this into an_ actual_ ceremony with her walking down the 'aisle', she would truly die of embarrassment. It was touching that Hanji wanted to give her such an opportunity to begin with, but Petra simply couldn't do it. Not with how she looked, not with how she felt – there was just no way.

"No, please no." she stated quickly, feeling blood rush to her face at the thought of all her squad watching her as she moseyed her way into the room – the very picture of everything a bride should _not_ look like on her wedding day. Petra walked sheepishly to the front of the room, giving Hanji a wide berth in fear of getting grabbed and pulled to the back of the room anyway, "I just…we don't have to, right? I'll just go stand up by the Captain if that's okay. We really can't delay much longer…"

Hanji looked surprised, but thankfully nodded and gave a satisfied shrug, "If you're fine with that then that's fine with me. Erwin? We've got all the signatures, and it looks like we've got a willing bride and groom. Everything checks out if you want to take over from here."

He looked around the room and gave a nod. "Thank you, Hanji. Let's all begin then shall we?"

Petra gulped, then looked straight ahead, looking between Erwin and Levi nervously.

Well. This was it.

This was what she had decided on, and she would be damned if she backed out now.

She had fought with her squad, fought with herself, and dragged Levi along with her the whole way. Even if this was far from the wedding of her dreams, even if it meant that sacrifices had to be made on the daily from here on out – she was going to see this through to the very end.

Erwin cleared his throat, looking at Levi and Petra first, then towards Hanji and the rest of Levi's squad amicably, "Thank you for coming today. I understand that for, well, _everyone_ here, this was extremely short notice."

There was a hushed whisper from Oluo who had moved slightly and leaned closer to Eld, "Do you think there's gonna be a reception? I'm gonna need a fucking drink. Damn it all, what if it's a cash bar? Those cheap_ fuckers_."

"SShh!" Eld hissed back sharply, not wanting Oluo's big mouth to get them all in trouble. He was already in enough trouble with Levi as it was and adding the Commander to the list seemed like an outright death wish. Oluo seemed to take the hint and mercifully fell silent.

Erwin continued, "Today we come here to celebrate loyalty, trust, and sacrifice – qualities that are highlighted in not just the best of soldiers, but also in the lives of those given and bound to their relationship to one another. It is always a privilege when I am given the honor to join two hearts in matrimony, and it is with a great reverence that I see two of our best, both presenting yourselves to be unified in matrimony today. In the most unlikely of circumstances, you have each shown consideration, humility, and a selflessness for the other in both a critical time and in a decisive manner. As your Commander, I am truly proud to see such an act of devotion from two like-minded and gifted Scouts."

Petra looked up toward Erwin, taken aback by his words. Admittedly, she had been expecting him to read words off a sheet of paper or perhaps just skip straight to the I Do's - however it was clear that he had actually put a great deal of thought into what he was saying. She supposed she _shouldn't_ be surprised as she herself had just recently spoke of how thorough he was, but how he addressed them so warmly… it made it feel that much less forced and that their decision _was_ something to be celebrated, rather than shamed. Petra actually found herself taking encouragement from his words and the pride he spoke with about their radical choice to actually see it through to the end.

It was as though he legitimately supported their decision to marry – shallow reasons and all – and _that_ was certainly a first.

"Levi." Erwin looked down at his subordinate, his smile warm, "I've known you for many years now. I've watched you grow as a Scout, and eventually step into the role of Captain. You have always succeeded in your rank with admirable discipline and unrestrained bravery. With the knowledge you possess, you have trained your squad with both wisdom and discretion. With your strength, you've protected them, building them up and bolstering them further in the process. In this same manner, and with these same skills, I expect you to care for and watch over Petra. Use your strengths to uphold and support her, as your subordinate, and friend, and now wife."

Petra blinked, feeling her face heat up as Erwin instructed Levi directly about his enhanced role as her husband in such a sincere and thought out manner, tailoring his instructions to Levi specifically. She could feel the Captain's gaze on her as the Commander spoke, and Petra couldn't help but envy his ability to wear a poker face so well. Whereas Levi looked the same as he always did – bored – Petra could not mask her emotions nearly as well. She dropped her gaze to the floor, staring down at her feet in embarrassment as the Captain's gaze lingered on her.

The Commander turned his attention to Petra, and he gave a small laugh at her clearly uneasy state, "Petra. In the time you've been in our ranks, your passion has blown many away time and time again. You are relentless in your pursuit to be the best, and your tenacity is unrivaled by anyone else I know. You have never been afraid of a challenge and refuse to give up, no matter how bad your odds may be. Similarly, as I've challenged Levi, I would issue you to use your gifts to encourage and build up your Captain. It is your unique and offsetting strengths that will allow you _both _to succeed and complement each other as you grow in your marriage."

Petra looked up toward Erwin slowly, giving him a single shallow nod. She wasn't exactly certain how their 'marriage' would function per say, but at the very least, after seeing what Levi was sacrificing to keep her on his team, she would strive hard to go the extra mile to cheer him on, lift his spirits, and be a friend to him – whatever that looked like. It was the least she could do, after all he was doing for her.

Erwin looked between them expectantly, "I understand you both have rings to present as a token of your loyalty and devotion. Please present them to me at this time."

Levi nodded and reached into his jacket, pulling out the rings in question and handing them up to the Commander silently.

"What the hell? When did they get _rings_? Are yall_ sure_ they haven't been shacking up?" Oluo hissed from behind them, once again earning another 'Shh!' from Eld. He grumbled and fell silent again.

Erwin grabbed the rings and continued, "Rings are often used to symbolize the bond shared between husband and wife, as it is a continuous circle, and therefore it has no end. Much like these rings, may your bond with each other be strong and unified, and everlasting. As you exchange rings with one another so you can both outwardly display this special bond you share, we will also proceed and exchange vows at this time."

The Commander handed the emerald ring first to Levi, watching him pointedly, "Levi Ackerman, do you take this woman, Petra Marie Ral, to be your lawfully wedded wife? Do you take her in the good times and bad, in sickness and in health, only till death do you part – for as long as you both shall live?"

Petra seemed to forget how to breathe and she looked up at Levi slowly, taking the time to truly _look _at him.

His dark shadowed eyes, his black unruly hair, his pristinely clean and pressed uniform that pointed toward his proud nature – it killed her to admit, especially considering how haggard she must appear right now, but the Captain was _devastatingly_ handsome.

Not only that, but he was her _Captain_, the man she had admired and worked under for so long now, the man so aptly dubbed 'Humanity's Strongest'.

He was so elite, so untouchable – so _beyond_ someone as plain as her…

Would he actually take her?

The man who had driven her to near insanity time and time again – the man who she had busted her ass for more times than she could count, and the same man she had slowly formed a strange friendship with – would he actually agree to live the rest of his life alongside hers, just so she could have a few more years on his squad?

What did he possibly have to gain from such an arrangement?

She watched him nervously, surprising herself at how naked and exposed she seemed to feel in front of his stare. The question both plagued and baffled her.

…_.Would he actually take her?_

His steel blue eyes locked with hers, his voice was low and smooth, "I do."

She felt her breath leave her, and as she turned her attention toward the Commander, she missed the slight half smile that came to Levi's face after seeing Petra's clear relief, as though she had _actually_ thought he would say no in the end.

Erwin smiled at Levi's confirmation, "Then you may place the ring on her left hand, to act as an outward testament of your vows."

Levi waited as Petra nervously presented her left hand, and again he slipped the ring slowly onto her finger, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze once the ring sat securely on her finger once again. Her smile brightened at this as she looked down at the stunning ring Levi had picked out for her only hours before, and she looked back toward Erwin expectantly, admittedly… _excited_ to get to her part next.

The Commander handed Levi's ring over to her with a nod, "And do you, Petra Marie Ral, take this man, Levi Ackerman, to be your lawfully wedded husband? Do you take him in the good times and bad, in sickness and in health, only till death do you part – for as long as you both shall live?"

She looked back toward Levi, pressing her lips together as she locked her gaze onto him. She gave a single, slight nod and took a breath of preparation, surprising herself at how _naturally_ the words came.

"I do."

She continued to return his gaze directly, and the way he watched her, with a hint of pride glowing in his eyes, she could only smile shyly in return, a blush rising to her face all the more as he watched her intently.

Perhaps Erwin's sappy speech was getting to her, or maybe it was the way the Captain was watching her – but Petra had anticipated a sort of sinking feeling in her stomach, that saying 'I Do' to Levi Ackerman would put the nail in the coffin for a life of loneliness and regret. Not that he was a bad man, but she knew full well that neither of them saw each other in such a light. She had _expected_ that she would be feeling something negative, not this. She hadn't thought that she would feel so…_carefree_.

Why the hell was she so damn_ happy_?

Erwin chuckled at her eager response, "Then you may place the ring on his left hand, to act as an outward testament of your vows."

Levi moved his hand upward, and Petra reached out slowly, grabbing onto his hand and running her thumb over his knuckles softly before carefully slipping the ring onto his finger as he had done for her a moment ago. Even after the ring was placed, she still held onto his hand and she couldn't help the bubbling smile that came when she looked back up toward him.

If her unneeded hand holding bothered him, he didn't say, and Levi gave a single nod of approval as she continued to watch him with a radiant smile. Her blush continued to intensify from the directness of his stare, and the Captain gave an almost inaudible chuckle when she finally lost her nerve and looked to the ground sheepishly.

Erwin paused for a moment, observing the pair knowingly before continuing on to the next part of the ceremony. He rolled his shoulders and adjusted the papers on the table. He cleared his throat and turned his attention back onto the pair, "Then by the power vested in me by the Holy government, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride!"

Petra had been so busy smiling and caught up in her own thoughts that her mind ripped back down to earth a moment too late after hearing Erwin's announcement.

You may…you may _what _now_?_

…_How had she forgotten about that?_

Before her mind could even _register_ a proper response, Levi had stepped forward, placed a hand on her hip and closed the distance between them.

Petra's eyes were wide as saucers as Levi's lips pressed gently over hers, the kiss chaste and simple, lasting a mere fraction of a second and clearly more for formality's sake than an actual kiss…but he _was_ kissing her none the less.

He pulled back after a mere moment, wearing the same bored and unamused expression that he always did.

The same could certainly not be said of Petra, who was positively _glowing _bright red at this point, to such an extent that Erwin outright laughed at her comical response, all while Hanji cheered and clapped dramatically, whistling loudly and jumping to her feet in excitement. Petra brought her hand to her lips in surprise, looking first towards Erwin, who was still laughing, then towards her squad who seemed just as surprised as she was, eyes wide and mouths agape, then back to Levi.

From his bored expression, it seemed as though he was already over it and had resumed watching Erwin again, though after further inspection, Petra noticed there was an undeniable smirk on his lips.

...So the kiss _had_ impacted him after all then.

She smiled smugly at her observation, also turning her attention to the Commander and deciding to not muddy the waters by allowing her thoughts to linger.

It was unexpected, and she never would have thought Levi would actually make good on such a tradition, but admittedly…_it was nice_. It was a pleasant surprise, and a memory she already knew she would cherish for years to come – a chaste gift from her Captain to herself, on their strange and hectic wedding day.

Erwin sobered his expression and cleared his throat, "Well then, it is my great privilege to introduce to you, Mr. and Mrs. Ackerman!"

At that, Hanji again clapped and cheered twice as loud as before, to such an extent that her squad mates slowly, begrudgingly, began clapping as well, though clearly lacking the outright enthusiasm that Hanji displayed with her rigorous and hearty applause. It was somewhat a wonder that her hands didn't _fly off_ with the aggressive and dramatic way she was clapping.

Erwin motioned for the pair to join him at the table, his voice less loud now that the official 'ceremony' was concluded. He pointed at the gathered papers, "Alright here is the wedding contract. I'll need you both to sign here, and then here so we can get this sent off to the courier's office for filing."

Petra nodded as she moved toward the table. She leaned over the surface slightly, grabbing a pen from Erwin and starting to write out her name, though Erwin cut her off promptly as the pen scratched over the paper, "Wait wait, hold on there Petra, it's not Ral anymore, right? Legally speaking, it's _Ackerman_ from here on out."

Petra blinked again as she stopped writing mid signature, this time feeling a little floored as Erwin brought up yet another detail that had completely slipped her mind until now.

They were getting married – no, _were_ married - so naturally she would be taking his last name.

Ackerman.

…She wasn't a Ral anymore.

She looked up toward Levi in surprise, as though asking wordlessly if he was okay with this, and he merely nodded towards the paper expectantly.

It seemed the detail had just slipped_ her_ mind then.

She nodded uncertainly in response, turning her attention back down toward the marriage license she had almost signed incorrectly and trying to ignore the sudden onslaught of emotions that overwhelmed her. For as angry as she was with her father, more than that, in this moment she suddenly missed him terribly. She wished he could have _been_ there with her on the day she left her father's household for good; the day that her name changed from the one given to her at birth.

For as messed up as the day was, for all that he had put her through, she still wanted him there. She treasured their relationship dearly and knowing that his heart would be broken because of her choices was devastating. Knowing that he had inadvertently _put_ her on this path was devastating, and Petra could only hope that time would mend the wounds they both shared as a result of his selfishness.

She blinked the sting out of her eyes in an attempt to focus and directed her attention back to her half-completed signature.

There was a straight line that would have started the R for her previous last name, and Petra placed her pen down and corrected the line so that it curved into an A instead, slowly writing out 'Ackerman' letter by letter in concentration.

She _had_ written out Levi's last name before, but never paid it much mind.

It was a satisfying name to write, she concluded, the letters progressing in a manner that enabled her to keep the pen flowing seamlessly, curling up and looping at the K, and Petra appreciated the feel of the pen gliding across the paper through the many curves and twists that comprised the cursive M and N at the end.

She looked down at her new signature, the name _Petra Ackerman_ staring back up at her strangely. _That_ would take some getting used to.

Before she could register her thoughts on the matter, Erwin redirected her attention, "Excellent, thank you. Now then for this document, I'll actually just need you for this one Petra; you may find it looks somewhat familiar. This is the contract you can fill out, if you so choose, to extend your time within the Scout Regiment."

Petra looked up between the Commander and Levi with wide eyes, a hopeful smile brimming at the corners of her lips. She hadn't known they would have her sign a new contract here and now. Whether it was meant to be a surprise or not she didn't know, nor did she care. The timing couldn't have been better.

Erwin looked toward Levi with a proud smile, "It seems to be my understanding that your current head of household has no issue with your being in the military-" Levi gave a lopsided smirk at this, and Erwin motioned toward the document, "So in that event, the decision falls solely to _you_, my dear."

At the Commander's explanation, Petra felt on overwhelming sense of pride and accomplishment and relief wash over her in waves.

It was worth it. The fighting, the frustration, the tears- in this moment she was certain that she had made the right judgment call. It was obvious to everyone, her heart belonged to the military, it always had, and even if the day had been unpleasant and her thoughts had been restless, knowing that she would be able to stay renewed her spirits and set her very soul at ease.

She smiled as tears spilled over her face, laughing at herself as the Commander smiled in understanding, pulling a handkerchief out of his jacket pocket and giving it to her.

He nodded, "Make us proud, Mrs. Ackerman."

She wiped her eyes as she smiled back at him, mouthing a silent thank you as she began filling out her contract that would grant her the ability to stay in the Scouts, to stay on Levi's squad, just like she had originally intended all along. She checked all the right boxes, filled out the required lines, signed her name – her _correct_ name even- and set the pen down triumphantly.

To her right, Levi was just finishing signing his name on the marriage contract, his signature just below hers, and he nodded towards Erwin as he stood up straight, "Alright, that should be good to go."

Erwin grabbed both the marriage license and Petra's new contract, reviewing each document line by line to ensure that no mistakes were present that would prevent matters from running smoothly.

Petra watched the Commander with bated breath, unknowingly leaning closer to Levi as her nerves got the best of her while she waited for the Commander's final verdict.

After a few moments, Erwin nodded and looked up from the papers with a grin, "This looks good. Congratulations Petra, you're in the clear. Welcome back to the Scouts, officially."

Hearing this, Petra felt as though a heavy weight had just been lifted from her. Without even thinking, she turned towards Levi and wrapped her arms around his neck in a jump of excitement, burying her head in his shoulder and grinning ear to ear as she embraced him tightly. She felt him stiffen at first from the unexpected contact, though he didn't push her away.

To his credit, it wouldn't have done any good. She was too happy to let him deter her, and after an extended moment, he sighed and placed his hands on her hips, seemingly accepting her actions for the time being. Petra turned her head so it was closer to his ear. She took in a deep breath and tried to contain herself, tears of both relief and joy threatening to fall all over again.

She exhaled, hoping her voice could convey the sincerity of her words, "Levi, thank you."

She felt him nod once, and hesitantly, a single hand moved to the middle of her back, giving her a reassuring, albeit awkward, pat in return.

"Oh that's so sweet!" Hanji crooned as she observed the embracing pair, moving toward them and announcing loudly, "Group hug!"

And suddenly there was _another_ set of arms that were wrapped tightly around them, Hanji's added embrace so tight that Petra wasn't so much _hugging_ Levi as she was crushed against him.

"Oh is that what we're doing?" Eld called out next, and Petra could barely lift her head up in time to see the taller blonde make his way toward the trio.

"Ah fuck-" she heard Levi grumble, though before he could get out another word, Eld had also crushed his arms around the group, earning a delighted squeal from Hanji, an 'oof' from Petra as her breath was pressed out of her lungs, and a grunt from Levi who was now being crushed from all sides by three different people.

"Gunther!" Eld called out, "Come on! It's the only time we can ever hug Levi and live to tell the tale. I've never felt so alive!"

"And get my ass kicked?" Gunther called back from the safety of his chair, "No thanks."

Before Eld could reach out to Oluo and encourage him to join in on the apparent group hug, Levi rolled his shoulders, overwhelming irritation evident in his tone.

"Oi, off, all of you, _off_!" he demanded, continuing to twist defiantly until eventually Eld and Hanji released their strong grips, taking a step back and laughing loudly as Levi shot them both waspish glares.

Finally, Petra was also freed. She released her hold slowly, taking a step back from the Captain and grinning at him in amusement as he continued to stare down Hanji and Eld in warning, resembling a cat who had just been threatened with a bathtub full of water.

Regardless her technical involvement in the crushing and sudden group hug, Petra would be the only one that did not receive a heated glare from the miffed Captain.

"Alright Levi-," Erwin stated, though Levi crossed his arms and cut him off.

"If you try to hug me, I'll knock your fucking lights out."

Erwin merely laughed, holding up his hands in surrender, "Alright alright, message received. I was _actually_ going to suggest that we wrap things up here and continue on the paperwork in my office." The Commander looked toward Hanji who was still laughing from her previous antics and nodded seriously, "We've got a lot to do right? Hanji. Let's get focused and make sure we're staying on track."

Hanji gave a nod, bringing her laughter under control and sobering her expression, though she was still grinning in triumph as Levi continued to eye her suspiciously, obviously not ready to forget about her unwanted 'group hug'.

The Titan's expert moved toward the table, stacking up all the papers and giving a nod toward Erwin, "I'm going to run these over to your office then grab a cup of coffee. I've got a feeling we're going to be up for a while and I'm going to need it. See you there. Oh and Petra, Levi – congratulations!"

She skipped out of the room and Erwin cleared his throat intentionally, looking at Levi with expectant eyes and motioning with his head toward Petra with a tilt.

Levi sighed.

"Right. Uh…I've gotta get going and…" The Captain began as he turned towards her once again, and Petra gave him an amused smile. It wasn't like him to falter with his words.

She found herself again fiddling with the ring on her hand, then shook her head back and forth before looking up at him squarely, "It's fine. You've got work to do and I've got the guys to keep me company. Go."

He gave a nod, "Alright. Tell everyone to take it easy these next few days. I want Eld to lead basic conditioning in the morning and from there-"

"Captain," Petra whispered warmly, "You've done _enough_. We'll be fine."

Levi exhaled and nodded again, turning back toward the Commander who was waiting for him at the doorway, and the pair left the room soon after.

Though the night had been admittedly tense between Petra and her squad mates, they still managed to have a good time. They stayed up far too late into the night, talking and laughing about how cringey the ceremony had been, how they had all gotten better kisses from their own _mother_, and how they would never let her live it down that she was such a brown-noser that she _literally_ married the Captain.

It had been light hearted and casual, which was perfect because that was exactly what Petra had needed to distract herself from her thoughts.

It was almost midnight by the time she finally came back to her room, and as she prepared for bed – changing out of her uniform, grabbing her pajamas, pulling her hair out of its aptly named messy bun – that she laughed in sudden realization.

It was her wedding day.

It was her wedding day and she hadn't even brushed her hair.

...

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End Of Chapter

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...

*cracks knuckles*

Alright guys, thank heaven they are _finally_ married – because now the REAL story can officially begin. Hey, I told yall this had a fully developed plot right? Trust me when I say that these aren't just a string of random events, I've got a method to my madness and it's off to the races from here on out!

Let me know your thoughts, tell me what you thought of the ceremony, (Oluo's comments always have me cracking up no matter how many times I've read this section) anything you're looking forward to, etc! Hopefully you enjoyed the early update, and let me give yall a heads up, next chapter is going to be about TWICE the length of a normal chapter. It's just how the cookie crumbled as there's no good stopping points between, so it's just gonna be a longer read next time around.

Either way, buckle up yall cause things are about to get _real_ :)

Midnight, signing off!


	8. The One with the Shower House

Hey squad!

So I decided that I am ditching the Monday gig all together, because Monday's are always busy in my household, and truth be told I don't know how I ever made them work in the first place. What a terrible day for me to try and update haha. For some of my newer readers who may not be aware, I update every other week, and as of today, those future updates will be occurring on _Sundays_ henceforth. It's a day 'early' for yall, and it works on my end a bit better, so drinks all around!

On that note, I am so happy yelled loved the wedding ceremony as much as I did. I had originally intended it to be this like, painfully dark, awkward depressing thing, but I just couldn't see Erwin taking the easy route with some prewritten speech, and because of that it went the direction it did, and I LOVED it. I really enjoyed seeing yalls comments, and again, lot of newer folks that piped in too so that really made me smile. Big shout out to all yall, because as yall know, what_ I_ am actively writing is _significantly _farther along in the plot than what is posted here, and on my end of the plot it's getting kind of heavy and…ugh. Yall helped keep my spirits high, because writing out _tough _sections really takes it out of me.

Thank you all so much, I can never express my gratitude for my readers enough.

Now as I warned previously, this chapter is about DOUBLE the length of what a normal chapter is just due to no proper break points in this section, so buckle up, grab some coffee and let's get to it.

...

* * *

...

Two weeks had passed since the sudden and abrupt marriage between Levi and Petra, and true to the Captain's word, life resumed without occurrence. Due to leadership having to take the better half of a week off to focus solely on Petra's unique situation, when everything _did_ go through and the matter was finally put behind them, Levi returned to his squad with an all-out crack down to ensure that they made up for lost time.

For the past two weeks, they had woken up, reported for duty at sunrise and did morning conditioning - consisting of brutal workouts and an unprecedented number of laps to be run at a sprint like pace. After scarfing down a meal during a very strictly monitored lunch break, they would get right back to it, working on the Omega formation and other training drills until the dinner bell rang. If throughout the day there was even a_ whisper_ of complaint or sluggish responses to an order, Levi was quick to address the matter with more laps, pain, miserable cleaning duties, and of course, more _pain_.

With how ragged the team was being run by their relentless Captain, no one had the time nor energy to obsess over the marriage between Petra and Levi – at the end of the day they were too busy just keeping themselves fed, hydrated, and caffeinated enough to stumble through the day, to actually care about their change in marital status and its resulting implications.

Petra had been a little anxious after the wedding, wondering how her team might treat her afterward, but as soon as Levi returned and pushed everyone's abilities to the limit, not surprisingly even she herself had to abandon any time spent worrying about the thoughts of others and just focused on getting through each day without invoking the Captain's wrath.

As for today, she could tell that it wasn't just her, her _entire _team was spent. They had started their day with a three-mile run, each of them trailing miserably behind the Captain, who kept shouting at them to pick up their pace or there would be hell to pay. Try as they may, they would all be unsuccessful in keeping up with the toned Ackerman, causing him to yell at them all for their lack of stamina and ensured that they ran it all over again. After an _'easy'_ start to their day, Levi commanded a series of conditioning routines that included a massive number of pushups, pull ups, squats, and other miserable exercises that they made use of, to tone and strengthen their bodies on a regular basis.

At one point as Petra worked on completing her assigned squats, Levi had scoffed at her as he walked by, 'Get your ass down, your form is shit' and gave a painfully firm tap to her calf with his boot, causing her to collapse to the ground and only proving his point further. She had quietly groaned and rubbed her sore rear as she stood back up and Levi merely gave a 'hmph' as he continued on, informing her that she would be starting over from the top until she could get it right. Her comrades all suffered similar fates, and no one went unscathed from his watchful gaze.

When lunch had finally rolled around, the squad ate in absolute silence, each focused on eating whatever food was provided as quickly as they could. They knew full well that they would_ need_ the energy for whatever drills the Captain had planned for them, and their lunch break was only so long; socializing took a back seat to fueling for the rest of the day.

As if right on cue, a metallic bell rang and they all stood up with a snap, whether their food was finished or not, lining up and standing in attention as Levi made his way toward them without a moment's delay.

"At ease." He stated quietly, and they each moved into parade rest as he walked in front of them, back and forth in a line, observing them tersely as he paced in front of them, the silence extending all the more as he watched them with a tense expression.

Petra had always hated when he did that. His pacing always made her nervous as he never gave a hint as to his mood or his thoughts. He could be in a good mood, or a bad mood, or somewhere in between and they would never know. What she _did _know was that this morning had been rough on all accounts for everyone. There was no way he hadn't noticed, and she was dreading what his response might be to their lackluster performance.

Levi paused in step and crossed his arms, running his gaze across each of them firmly, "This morning was a cluster fuck of all you shits half-assing the whole thing."

Petra mentally groaned, though remained stoic, knowing better than to actually respond in such a way. While normally he was much more lax and surprisingly tolerated their whines and groans, he had been running a particularly tight ship as of late and she did not want to be on the receiving end of any of the laborious cleaning tasks he assigned to those who didn't fall in line.

He gave a small cough and continued, clearing his throat and speaking up, "While my initial reaction is just to make you all run and do the whole thing over again, perhaps a bit of grace is in order. For the most part, you have all shown an excess of control and discipline over the last few days, which hasn't gone unnoticed. In light of your discipline, I'm willing to cut you a bit of slack for your shitshow that was this morning's conditioning. Seems you_ can_ pull it together, so long as you get your heads out of your ass that is."

Petra blinked, feeling a spark of disbelief, and dare she say _hope_ spring up within her, though again she kept her gut reaction in check.

Levi nodded toward them, "Take the rest of the night off, that's an order."

"Yes sir." The squad responded in unison, the expected and correct response after being given a direct order.

Levi cleared his throat again and gave another light cough, nodding as his squad officially relaxed and smiled at their good fortune, "Come the morning I expect_ top_ performance. Anything less will not be met with near the same amount of leniency tomorrow, I assure you." He gave a light smirk at the flashes of relief across his squad's faces, then nodded with a tilt of his head, "Alright now, piss off. I'll be in my office if you need anything."

Petra smiled and gave a 'thank you Captain' before all but running off the training grounds before he could change his mind.

"I call the shower!" Oluo called out loudly as they all marched away, and finally, the group felt free enough to groan at Oluo's announcement, no longer feeling threatened by the Captain's potential retaliation.

"What'd you do to earn the first shower?" Gunther quipped back as they all walked back to the compound together, the excitement of being free giving them a much-needed boost of energy, "The way I saw it you came in dead last for pretty much, oh right, _everything _today."

Petra gave a huff, "Well if_ that's_ the ranking system then I should be the one to have first crack at it. I was the one that kept up with the Captain the best today, we all know that I'm faster than all of you! We've taken tests that prove it!"

Eld shook his head, "Right. Faster at everything _except_ for taking a shower. If we let you go first, you'll take all the hot water! Why don't you just go to the women's shower house? You'd be in and out before the dinner rush even started."

"This one is closer!" Petra wined, "And what about all of you? The men's shower house out of order or something? The reality is only one, maybe two people are getting hot water from the one in the compound, so someone is either walking to the other side of camp, or just taking a cold shower. If the hot water matters _that _much to you, you'll have better luck in the shower house. You guys can make it like…a manly field trip or something. You all go take showers elsewhere and leave all the hot water in the compound to me! I've earned it!"

The men looked amongst each other as they each debated their options, and Eld sighed as they approached the doors of the compound, "Well, the way I see it men, there's only one law in effect here - the law of nature."

He opened the door as he stepped inside, then promptly took off in a dead sprint, "First one there gets it!"

"Hey!"

"That's cheating!"

"No fair!"

Regardless their apparent mutual feelings about Eld's sudden decision, they all tore off into the hall after him, banging shoulders and shoving each other back and forth in their attempts to reach the bathroom first.

By the time they had reached the bathroom in question, they were a blob of tangled arms and legs, each pressed against the doorframe or across the ground, trying to claw their way into the room while keeping their teammates from actually crossing the threshold first.

"OW! Whoever just _bit _me, your ass is mine! There's no reason to – oh no you don't!" Eld stopped mid-sentence and grabbed Petra's collar, yanking her backward and ignoring her cursing that followed her unsuccessful attempt of claiming the prize.

"All's fair in love and war Eld." Gunther responded, spitting onto the ground and glaring up at him, "And by the way, you taste even worse than you smell!"

"Hey asshole! You just spit on _me_!" Petra shrieked, though Eld spoke over her, looking over his shoulder toward Gunther, "I smell bad, do I? If that's how you feel you should want me to take a shower right now! You should be_ begging_ me to get in there!"

"Never!"

Eld had leaned over to push Gunther backwards, and it was then that Oluo jumped and pushed off Eld's back, successfully landing in the bathroom with a surprisingly graceful roll. Before any of them could respond further, Oluo had stomped down on Gunther's hand, causing him to recoil in shock and pain from his crushed hand. Once there were no arms or appendages in his way, Oluo slammed the door shut and clicked the lock triumphantly in place.

"Who's the fastest_ now_ Petra?" Oluo's muffled voice taunted from the other side of the door, and Petra kicked the door with her foot, almost falling over after losing her balance as her other teammates picked themselves off the floor and bumped into her in the process.

"Cheap tricks Oluo!" Petra shouted back into the door, "I'll race you here and now for that shower. Come out and face me you coward!"

There was no response, and Petra glared, turning back towards her other unsuccessful comrades and frowning.

…So much for that then.

Gunther rubbed his throbbing hand bitterly as he stood up from the ground, "That little shit. Hey Petra, you still have those bobby pins in your dresser, right? Let's pick the lock open."

"Wait, you _know_ how to do that?" Petra asked in both surprise and worry, feeling considerably less safe at night knowing that her lock was potentially useless. Her eyes widened as she replayed his words, "And how exactly do you know where I keep the bobby pins in the first place?"

"Calm down," Gunther rolled his eyes, "Everyone already knows about your cutesy little stuffed animals you like to cling to at night, it's no big deal. Oh, by the way your night shorts_ really _ride up when you sleep. Figured you oughta know."

Petra blanched at his words and Eld chuckled, giving a light punch to her shoulder, "Yeah. You know, you never told me you had a birthmark!"

Petra's mouth fell open and her face began to burn red from embarrassment, though before she could properly respond to her _comple_te invasion of privacy, Oluo spoke haughtily through the door, having heard their threats about breaking in, "Too late now fuckers, I've already stripped down to nothing. You come in and you're gonna get a show, bare ass and everything!"

"A_ disappointing_ show no doubt." Petra retorted without missing a beat, finding the idea of breaking in and facing a naked Oluo a rather horrible way to kick off her hard-earned free time. Her comrades and her were close, but not_ that _close, and Petra felt very strongly that there were some lines that should remain uncrossed within her team.

Petra exhaled through her nose, deciding to get untangled from the mess while she still could, "Alright alright, you got me beat. I'm out."

She took a step back, though after a moment of thought leaned toward Gunther and whispered lowly, "I've got bobby pins in the_ top_ drawer of my dresser. You mess with any of my stuffed animals and I'm taking it out of your hide. Give him_ hell_ for me."

Gunther grinned darkly at her granted permission, "Oh don't worry. We'll get it taken care of."

Eld gave a promising nod, assuring all the more that this battle wasn't over.

She turned over her shoulder, "And If I _ever_ catch any of you in my room at night you're _dead_! I mean it! DEAD."

She left at that, deciding to just bite the bullet and prepare for the long trek across the grounds to get to the women's shower house. If they were so gung-ho about picking the lock on Oluo, she wasn't sure if she was ready to fight for the next shower after all. While she didn't _think_ they'd actually come in while she was showering, they _were_ all competitive to the core and she wasn't sure she could depend on something like 'immodesty' to protect her when they were in a mood like this.

Besides, it wasn't _that_ bad of a walk, after all that was how a vast majority of the women in the Scout regiment showered each day so it was certainly possible, it was truly just a matter of convenience for her. With her room being a mere fifteen feet away from their private bathroom in the compound, she didn't need to pack a big bag of shower supplies or a change of clothes. She could just shower off, wrap herself in a towel and just tip toe back to her room without much incident.

Perhaps the walk would do her good though. Fresh air, a gentle stroll without her 3DM gear and harness weighing her down, it might even be nice. Petra went to her room and packed her shower bag, leaving the compound and heading toward the shower house without further fuss.

Twenty some minutes later, Petra found herself successfully at the women's shower house, and as expected, there wasn't a large line considering most squads were still actively on duty. Now that the excitement and adrenaline of her sudden scuffle with her team had worn off, she could_ feel _just how exhausted she was.

Her back ached, her muscles were throbbing, her hands were blistered and calloused from all the recent conditioning they had focused on, and she could feel sweat and grime resting across her skin as a result of the day's hard work.

Thankful that there was a stall immediately open, Petra sighed in relief and moved into the stall, setting the water to hot and grabbing out her packed shampoo and conditioner. As she waited for the water to heat up, voices of other female Scouts echoed across the walls – Petra hadn't bothered to look around and see who was already there – one girl giggling at whatever one had said before a different voice responded.

"That's what I thought. I'm telling you, Maria has _no _chance with him. I mean she's been dropping major hints but he clearly isn't interested."

"Poor guy. Honestly I wonder if he's gay? I mean he's such a nice guy, maybe even a little_ too_ nice, and he just doesn't seem to be interested in any girls, you know?"

"Oh I know, I've been wondering the same thing! I just don't have the nerve to ask him!"

"Me neither!"

Petra smirked as she undressed and stepped into the water, somewhat remembering why she didn't come to the women's house more often. More than the distance, it was also the Scout Regiments unofficial watering hole for gossip. While she would be lying if she said that she wasn't curious as to the most salacious gossip within their ranks, the reality was her team was so excluded from the rest of the Scouts that she didn't even _know_ what they were talking about half the time.

She allowed the water to run over her and Petra wiped the grime and sweat off her skin, continuing to listen to the stranger's conversation.

"Oh right, have you heard any more updates on that?"

"Well it's all kept hush hush right now, you know how tight of a lid management keeps on these things. My Captain heard me talking to Amy about it and gave me the stink eye. It's stupid. You _know_ he's thinking the same thing. I swear that Officer's get to do whatever they want half the time. I mean, if _I _got knocked up, do you think that they would go as far to keep me protected and out of the limelight? I doubt it."

Petra blinked, admittedly curious as she began to lather shampoo in her hair. That was always a fun one. While it was rare, every once in a while, a female Scout would have to go on a mysterious leave of absence due to an unexpected pregnancy. It was always kept under wraps and Officers were given strict coaching to protect the female's information and remain as tactful about it as possible. Even still though, the rumor mill always churned for weeks.

Petra wondered if it was someone she knew. Not likely. She only had about four or five girl friends within the Scouts, and the last she had checked they were all single and uninterested in beginning any sort of relationship – physical or otherwise.

The gossip continued, "I mean, I'm not surprised by the_ girl_ because I mean, come on, we all saw that one coming - it's more the father that shocks me here."

"Right? Who would have thought that Humanity's Strongest would ever get himself involved in such a scandal? And with his own subordinate too? It's almost poetic if it weren't so gag worthy."

Petra felt her blood run cold at the mention of Levi's other title, and she finally realized that she_ did_ in fact know the girl they were talking about.

It was her.

The other girl gave a laugh, then groaned, "Well I mean you can see it in how that girl watches him all the time; talk about thirsty. I'll bet that's how she got on his squad to begin with. Goddess' know it wasn't _talent_."

"Well…not_ that_ kind of talent any way."

"Right?"

Petra's mouth fell open and she glared towards wherever the voices were coming from, finding their accusations both horrifying, embarrassing, and way off base. Yes, she could acknowledge that Levi was attractive, but she had more respect for him than to watch him, or even _think_ of him like that! He was her Captain! That sort of relationship was forbidden. They had both agreed from the very beginning before they got married that_…such acts_…were off the table!

Even thinking about it now, her face burned in embarrassment.

What was more, where the hell did this pregnancy rumor come from? She would know better than _anyone_ if such a thing were possible – and considering the closest Levi had come to touching her as of late was his recent kick to her leg this morning (no doubt already starting to bruise) it was _safe_ to say that pregnancy was not in the cards for her.

"The fact they got a shotgun wedding though? _Please_. Like anyone will believe it's a legitimate child, I mean, seriously? We can all count to nine, people!"

"It just goes to show you how unfair the system is. They'll keep her in baggy shirts for a while, give her like a research role in Hanji's division, and then when she's too big to hide behind a desk, they'll make the official announcement and she'll be off on leave. From then on she'll be off living the life of luxury, raising the Captain's little _prodigy_ while we all die in the mouths of Titans. Seriously though, you gotta admit she's smart. Had I known that Captain Levi was _looking_ – I kinda wish it had been me. He may be a walking terror, but damn is he easy on the eyes. And what's more, have you seen him in action? With stamina like that, I'll bet he's an absolute _god_ in bed."

"Well if you're curious about that then I'm sure you can always ask that girl, Petunia something or other. She'd know, right?"

A laugh was shared between the two as they found amusement in their shared secrets, meanwhile, Petra was all but sputtering, _beyond_ uncomfortable at hearing people talk about Levi so brazenly and raging something fierce at everything she heard.

They were _not _married because she was sleeping around – even her own squad had accused her of that – she was_ not_ pregnant, she most certainly did not get her spot on the squad by sleeping with the Captain considering she had _never slept with the Captain_, like hell these girls even had a _shot_ with Levi, and for Maria's sake, her name was _not _fucking Petunia!

Damn it all!

She heard one of the girls sigh, "Well, for now we just wait it out. They can't hide it forever after all. At the very least it keeps things interesting for a few months. Anyway, wanna head out and get in the dinner line? It should be ready by now. I think they're serving meat loaf today."

"Ugh. It's always so dry though. But, yeah let's go. It's getting hot in here."

Petra couldn't decide if she wanted to hide in the shower until she was certain they were actually gone, or if she wanted to grab her towel, burst out of the stall and demand an apology. At the absolute least these rumors were vicious, and she knew full well that Erwin would have something to say if that kind of talk got back to him.

She didn't need their respect per say, but she certainly didn't need random Scout's dragging her name through the mud over their preconceived notions about the circumstances behind her marriage to the Captain.

Their marriage was born out of desperation, not promiscuous behavior. She had been backed into a corner and Levi gave her a way out – it had nothing to do with a forbidden relationship or any questionable behaviors they were trying to hide with a cover up marriage story. The fact that those were the kinds of rumors circulating around the Scouts – while she hadn't seen the two girls, considering they didn't even know her name, it was safe to assume she hadn't met or worked with them, so if that kind of rumor had already circulated so far down the ranks, how could she show her face to the Regiment?

Even if they were completely wrong about her, word had seemingly gotten out that at the absolute least, she was _that_ girl that chose to move through the military by sleeping with her higher ups, instead of working hard and earning her place.

Petra felt her blood boil and run cold at the same moment, because that was contrary to everything she believed in.

How was she supposed to address this? Ignore it? Fight it head on? And what of the Captain? While she was taking the brunt of the current circulating rumors, it didn't exactly paint Levi in a great light either. It was one thing if_ her_ reputation was tarnished, but Levi had authority – actual _power_ within the Scout Regiment. He was already a difficult person to get along with, and if rumors like this continually floated around him, people would gradually trust him less and less.

Petra groaned and stepped out of the shower, roughly drying herself off and tugging on her clothes, not paying any mind to her dripping wet hair as she exited the stall.

She grabbed her things and marched out of the shower house, taking large strides across the campus and finding her way back to the compound. She opened the door and moved inside without delay, carrying her bag in tow as she made her way down the hall purposefully. Still not stopping as she passed the common room and then toward the hall, she grabbed the handle of the door she was now stationed in front of and without knocking, stepped inside with the intensity of a storm.

"Levi!" She called out loudly, moving in front of his desk and dropping her bag to the floor in a heap, slamming her hands down onto his desk and looking down at him squarely with an angry scowl.

The Captain in question looked toward the door Petra had suddenly burst through without warning, to where she was now standing, to her bag plopped so unceremoniously on the floor, then up to her face where – he frowned as he watched her hair release droplets of water onto the surface of his desk and he pressed his lips together into a thin line.

He clicked his tongue in distaste and moved the papers that were getting dripped on to a _different_ section of his desk, away from the falling drops of water. He looked up at her in barely restrained irritation, "Petra." He stated with a forced calm demeanor, "Can I help you with something?"

Her mouth opened as she attempted to respond, though she gave a confused frown and closed her mouth, then sighed, standing up fully and watching him in extended confusion. A long silence fell across the room as she pondered his question, and Levi wondered if Petra would be able to respond to him at all.

He felt his irritation rise as she merely watched him with a perturbed, dumb look. It was a simple fucking question, but the silence only extended all the more as Petra made various faces and attempted to put even a single word together. He sighed again, all the more agitated by her prolonged silence.

He fucking_ hated _it when she was like this.

"They." She huffed suddenly, then shook her head and pointed out the door, "They were…" she exhaled and waved her hands dramatically, "Shower. Walking, and then they – I could hear them. _Petunia_!" she suddenly hissed, slamming her fist down on the surface of his desk, causing him to jolt slightly at her loud passionate outburst that made no damn sense.

Various flicks of water hit him in the face from her actions as her hair flew every which way and he wiped the water off his face with a snap of his wrist, though Petra continued undaunted, continuing all the more and whipping her head every which way as she spoke, droplets of water_ continuing _to fly off of her and sending small circles of water splashing across every surface of his office.

"You should have heard! I – never in my life – but they _were_! They were even talking about, and yet _I_ am the one that they are concerned with?" Petra started pacing in front of his desk when she finally paused in step and pressed her lips together into a sort of sneer. She looked at him with hard eyes, "Oh that is _it_! Erwin! Get me Erwin! Right now. That's what I'll do, he's…Where's he at? He's not busy is he?"

Levi watched Petra for an extended moment, legitimately having a hard time keeping up with his frazzled subordinate. What the fuck did Erwin have to do with…whatever the hell had pissed her off? It _was_ anger right? This was _anger_ he was seeing on her face? He really couldn't be too sure.

Levi ground his teeth, setting his pen down and looking up at her, his voice low as he tried his damnedest to not lose his temper, "Petra. I have no fucking _clue _what you're talking about. Either sit the hell down and tell me what it is you need, or get the fuck out of my office and figure your shit out on your own._ I _will be the one to decide if Erwin needs to get involved or not. Considering you can't even put a damned sentence together, I can't trust your judgement."

Petra looked at him with wide eyes, seemingly giving him her complete attention, and he exhaled loudly, folding his hands and looking at her directly, "Now. What the hell can I _help_ you with?"

Petra gaped then shook her head in pure disbelief, again sending more droplets raining down on him. _Now_ there was anger on her face, he was sure of it.

She scoffed and glowered at him, "I just told you! Captain, I swear. Are you even_ listening_ to me? With everything I said, you of all people should be concerned but _no_. You're just sitting there staring at me like it doesn't even matter. This is _why_ I need Erwin! _You_ may be too nice of a guy but Erwin will-"

Levi's patience was beyond thin. He had a headache pounding within his temples, he had a shit ton of work to get done, and out of nowhere Petra had burst through the door with some problem that apparently, she didn't trust him to actually work through, repeatedly bringing up the fact that she needed _Erwin,_ and _not_ him.

Levi all but growled, still having _no_ idea what it was that Petra was going on about, "And what will _he_ do that I _won't_, apparently?"

Petra threw a hand up in the air, seemingly irritated that he just wasn't getting it, "Kick some ass!"

Hearing this, the Captain was torn between laughing darkly, or physically getting up and pushing her out of his office and slamming the door shut. He was apparently _too nice of a guy_ to kick someone's ass? Now he _knew _she was beyond reason.

Levi laced his hands in front of his face, clenching his arms tightly in restraint as frustration coursed through him hotly. "Let me make sure I've got this right - you believe that _Erwin_ is more prone to kicking someone's ass, than _I _am?" He set his arms down across his desk and looked at her squarely, "Woman, what the actual _hell _is wrong with you?"

Whatever he said seemed to do the trick as Petra gave a mournful sigh and sank down into one of his office chairs, burying her face into her hands and shaking her head sadly, "I just never thought I'd have to deal with this. I worked so hard to get on your squad, and now everyone thinks that I'm a tramp. Just what am I supposed to do?"

A long silence extended, and Levi was admittedly surprised by her words that seemed to come out of nowhere. Where was _this_ coming from? He rolled his tense shoulders as he observed her further for explanation, though _now_ of all times his subordinate had fallen silent. He sighed, mentally replaying the broken fragments of what she had said earlier and attempting to piece her frustrations together like a poorly constructed puzzle.

He rubbed his throbbing temples in forced contemplation and adjusted himself in his chair until he found a more comfortable position. She had said he was involved, that 'they' said this or that – which was a bad thing he was guessing - and that he should be just as offended as her – and _now_ she was apparently a tramp?

Levi frowned at his subordinate, questioning if her sanity had finally snapped once and for all, but as his wedding band caught the light just right and grabbed his attention, it finally clicked into place.

…Well damn.

Seemed the rumors had finally gotten back to her. That was sooner than he had anticipated. He had known it would only be a matter of time until the Scouts heard about the wedding and would get all sorts of ideas about why it happened; even his _own_ squad would start whispering if he had let them go unchecked. He had intentionally kept them as busy as possible until their tank ran dry, making it so there was no time to gossip between themselves or even hear it from others, and with how hard he was running them he was admittedly surprised he had gotten a full two weeks out of them before they bottomed out.

Figures all it would take was one hour of free time for it to all come back full circle.

Understanding her frustrations better, he grabbed a hankie from his pocket and began wiping the water off the surface of his desk, attempting to pat the dripped-on papers dry in hopes to not smear the ink.

His voice was much calmer now that he actually understood the problem and he leaned back in his chair as he watched her flatly, "Well, are you surprised? Not that it's right, or that the fucking shits shouldn't learn their place, but we all knew these rumors would spread eventually. Honestly there's _always _been those kinds of rumors, since the day you joined my squad in fact. People can't accept the fact that just because you're the only girl on my squad, doesn't mean we're fucking by default. You can only imagine the hay day people had when they found out you and I suddenly got married."

Petra had kept her head in her hands, her voice muffled as she spoke into the floor, "Captain, they're saying you got me _pregnant._"

Hearing this, Levi scoffed and shook his head, but again, wasn't all that surprised. People got bored and had to have _something_ to talk about. The fact that he was already known throughout the entire military, combined with the fact he was somewhat seen as the black sheep of the Scout Regiment, it only made the gossip all the more intriguing and therefore, spread more quickly.

He leaned back toward his desk, resuming his work and remarking off handedly, "Just wait until they see that you clearly _aren't _showing in a few months, that'll _really_ give them something to talk about."

Petra sat up and looked toward him, hope evident in her voice as she watched him nervously, "You think that will shut them up, prove them wrong?"

Levi frowned darkly, "If only. My theory, if I were to bet on anything, they'll probably assume coat hanger abortion."

Petra gasped and made a face, though Levi simply gave another shrug, "Nothing we can do about it. While I normally have no problem putting shits in their place, acting out would only force it into the public eye all the more. The best thing we can do is ignore the rumors and wait for people to get bored. It'll be a while mind you, but they _will_ get tired and drop it. You just have to survive until then. You don't have to, but you can stay in the compound or the guys can bring you your meals – obviously I don't care if you go out or not, but if it seriously makes you that uncomfortable, we can make it work until it all blows over."

Petra gave another sad sigh, her voice more quiet as she thought the matter over, "It's just…there's something else about all this that really bothers me. Even the _guys_ wondered if there was anything…like _that_…happening between us. When I told them we were getting married, it was like their _first_ question." She fell silent as she tried to sort out her thoughts, though found no answer within herself. She attempted to put words to her frustrations, "It just pisses me off, but more than that it makes me…sort of worry."

Her odd statement grabbed his attention, and Levi looked up from his desk and watched her with a quirked eyebrow. Petra chewed her lower lip as the Captain watched her for an explanation. She looked into the floor and gave a small shrug, her voice timid, "I just…Do they see something that I don't? I don't feel like I'm, I don't know, flirtatious with you or anything. To my knowledge I haven't sent you suggestive vibes – honestly even being _this_ direct about something like this with you, it actually makes me _really_ embarrassed but..."

She looked up from the ground, her green eyes searching for strength in his. She bit her bottom lip, "Captain, I'm sorry to ask you something like this or - _ugh this is so weird_ – I'm not crazy right? Our relationship has always been professional? Some of the comments the girls made in the shower house, they said…"

A blush rose to her face and Petra moved her gaze to the opposite side of the room, refusing to look at him as embarrassment continued to plague her. "They said that I _look_ at you and its apparently obvious that I'm like, I don't know, obsessed with you or something." She paused and sighed in defeat, "Actually, _thirsty_ was the word they used, to be exact."

Her face burned an even darker shade of red, and Levi blinked, not from the word choice but rather the shock of hearing _Petra_ say such things.

She continued to avoid his gaze and she shifted in her seat in a self-conscious manner, "I mean, I do think you're a good Captain and an incredible soldier. I know I've told you this before, but really I'm just so honored to be on the squad. I want to push myself, and I suppose to some extend I want to impress you as my Captain but…but if I've ever given you any _other _impression over the years or maybe…" She groaned as a blush stained her cheeks, "Look I'm sorry if I've ever crossed the line or-"

Levi raised a hand, cutting her off and sparing her from having to explain herself. As she sat in front of him, clearly innocent yet still having to be the subject of such vicious rumors, Levi found he was extremely displeased. If the rumors she overheard were so low and degrading that a woman like _Petra _was reduced to stuttering and cowering in his office, apologizing for lines she had never crossed, for things she had never _done _– it made him seriously reconsider tracking down whoever it was that had said such disgusting things and make them regret that they had _ever _crossed her path today.

He knew it wouldn't help matters at all, he knew that such actions would only fuel the fire and Erwin would be exasperated at his assaulting yet another Scout, but as he watched Petra who was obviously discouraged by her being branded with the scarlet letter through no fault of her own, it was awfully tempting.

Levi took a breath and forced his mind to refocus and remain disciplined. For now, he would settle with encouraging his beaten down subordinate. "Look. Ask me directly all you want; you could stand to hear that you've never given me that impression. Furthermore, I appreciate that you have managed to hold your own in a squad of men, without giving, or accepting any advances of that sort."

Petra gave a laugh, "Accepting advances. Yeah right. Pretty sure the _entire_ squad sees me in the little sister sort of light, but I appreciate it none the less."

Levi tried not to give her a skeptical glance, knowing that due to Petra's innocence, _of course_ she would be blissfully unaware of the potent effect she had on the men in his squad. Though it was admittedly rare, there were days she would move just right, laugh in such a way, or tap on someone's arm where they watched her in ways_ no_ man would dare to watch his sister.

If he were being fully honest with himself, even _he_ had had his share of moments where his gaze on her lingered in ways that were unrelated to their training, and he would promptly remind himself that she was his subordinate and deserved his respect through and through.

He cleared his mind and continued, giving her no allusion to his thoughts, "Obviously this should go without saying, but I think I would know full well if we were_ fucking,_ Petra."

At his crude statement, Petra's face _burned_ a bright red, though Levi hadn't noticed and merely continued speaking as he stared at the document in front of him, "The guys may have asked out of sheer stupidity and shock, but they know you're not that kind of girl. Erwin and Hanji know that you're not that kind of girl. Everyone who matters already has your back. As for the rest of the Scouts, they're simple minded fucks who need something to talk about, nothing more."

Petra sat up from her hunched over position, going to the next extreme and slouching back into the chair and hanging her head over the back. She gave a dramatic sigh, "This is way too exhausting. I don't really know if I can handle hearing people talking about me like this, but at the same time, hiding out in the Compound for who knows how long seems silly. I haven't done anything wrong."

Petra held her head up slightly, looking at Levi directly through one eye that was cracked open, "Question, does this kind of thing actually irritate you? The fact that people are bad mouthing you – would you consider this a trigger of yours? I mean, it obviously is for me."

Levi grabbed a page and scanned over the form. It was a progress report for the first quarter of the year for his squad's performance. He sighed as he furrowed his eyebrows and read over the various paragraphs that explained the ranking system, as well as the provided spaces for a detailed answer.

He frowned as he turned the page over, noting that it was both front and back. Shit, these forms took hours to fill out. They were all open-ended questions that required a considerable amount of thought to answer properly, and what was worse, these documents were considered high priority so there was still hell to pay if it wasn't finished on time.

He used his free arm to rub his aching eyes, then grabbed his pen and began to write, responding to Petra as he did so. "I don't like it by any means, but again, we all knew this would happen. Hanji pointed out early on that there would be a lot of controversy surrounding everything, but there was no way around it. Granted most people have better sense than to say anything to me directly, but I still get the judgmental stares and they start whispering the second they think I won't hear them. I wouldn't say it's a trigger though. It's just annoying."

Petra let her head fall back onto the chair and she closed her eyes again, "I think part of what makes me so upset is even _if_ everything they were saying was true, that we had been messing around and so we got married to either make it 'right' or try to hide it from everyone, that's still none of their business. Even if there _were_ some secret relationship going on between us, it doesn't impact them in the slightest. I just don't see why people are so obsessed and feel the need to talk about it."

Levi said nothing to this, and a comfortable silence settled over the room as Petra continued reviewing her thoughts over the matter and Levi continued filling out his paperwork; the sound of his pen scratching across the paper having a strangely cathartic effect on Petra. She wasn't sure how long she sat in silence, but as time passed by, the anger slowly dissolved out of her like sand in running water.

It was strange. Hearing the latest gossip _did _upset her and furthermore she knew she had every right to be upset, but the Captain's presently calm demeanor continuously soothed her troubled thoughts, even if he wasn't consciously aware that he was doing so. His pen continued tapping, and as the minutes began to pass by one by one and time eventually started to bleed together, Petra nearly drifted off into contented sleep.

It was then that a long sigh grabbed her attention.

She blinked her mind back into alertness, looking up toward the source of noise and mentally scolding herself for almost falling asleep in his office like that. She_ was_ tired, but still.

"Mm, what's wrong Cap'tin?" Petra responded in a daze, hoping her voice didn't betray any signs of her almost nap.

Levi didn't look up from his desk and was hunched over slightly, leaning onto one arm as he stared down at whatever it was he was working on. He still didn't look up as he responded, "These questions are so stupid. Whatever I write isn't going to change anything for this squad so it's a waste of fucking time."

Petra sat up more fully and rubbed her eyes, finally alert again after having a moment to return to her senses. She gave a slight yawn, "What's the question?"

Levi grabbed the page in his hand, holding the paper up slightly and reading aloud, "What is the greatest strength your team displays while on active duty? List three examples of this attribute's impact on the team's daily performance, as well as an instance where the lack of this strength caused an imbalance in your team's functionality. How do you plan to make use of this strength to better the success of the military in the future?"

Petra made a face, "That's a bit wordy. Kinda abstract. What's this information used for anyway?"

"This form? It gets sent back to the King. Since all the military branches have separate goals and responsibilities, they send out these dumb questionnaires to see what similarities and differences lay between the factions. Usually they only get filled out by people like Erwin or Hanji, but due to my squad being marked as a specialty unit, I'm expected to fill them out every quarter as well. Lucky me." He set the paper down and groaned, "Every question here is like twenty questions in one, and there like twelve questions here on the front_ and _back. I _hate_ these fucking things."

Petra wasn't sure if he was actually looking for answers or just venting his irritation, but she gave it a moment of thought none the less. While she wasn't the Captain, she was a member of his squad and they were all just as aware of their good days, as well as their bad. Surely, she could think of_ something_ useful to say.

After a moment of thought, Petra nodded confidently, "I'd say it's stubbornness."

"They asked for the biggest strength. Stubbornness is not a strength." He remarked off handedly as he set the paper down on his desk, and Petra shrugged.

"Well, I mean, it _can_ be – when it's used right." She responded simply, "Listen. Just take the entire Scout Regiment for example; everything we've ever done is a result of how stubborn we are. All humanity seems to know full well the battle against the Titans has been, and maybe always _will _be, a losing battle – except us. We're the only ones too stubborn to accept it. Instead of bordering the walls or focusing on upholding peace within the cities, we charge straight out into the wild, even if we have no chance at surviving, all because we're too stubborn to accept no as an answer. Honestly Captain, our own squad here is no different."

She smiled, "We may never be able to keep up with _you_, or kill Titans with the same ease as you, but day in and day out we keep trying, even after years of consistent failure. We push our bodies past the limit, do what most would call insane, all because we're too stubborn to accept limitations and boundaries. Every success we've ever had is a result of our certifiably insane need to do the impossible."

As she spoke, Levi had looked up at her in question, her strange explanation surprisingly making perfect sense. He began writing hurriedly as she spoke, struggling to keep up with her as ideas flew out of her mouth. She paused at one point, shrugging in a suddenly self-conscious manner, "Ugh, sorry. Not sure if I'm actually helping at all. I'll try not to distract you."

Levi looked up from the paper sharply as though afraid she was preparing to leave, "No, no - that's good, keep talking."

Petra blinked in surprise at witnessing what she could only assume was Levi's version of enthusiasm, and hesitantly continued, "Oh, well… alright then, sure. As for examples, well… oh that time that Oluo sprained his ankle after slipping on the mud, but he was so embarrassed that he ran faster than everyone, just so no one would think he was hurt?"

Levi rolled his eyes, still continuing to write as he spoke, the memory still vivid in his mind, "Yeah. Ended up having to take a full week off duty after almost tearing his ligaments clean off his bones, the dumbass."

Petra groaned, "Oh and he's never let us live it down either, makes sure that we _never_ forget the one time he outran us with a gimp leg. He _still_ thinks he's a hero. And let's not forget about your pet project the Omega formation - that's all _you_ Captain. We all think there's no such thing as the perfect formation, but you're too stubborn to-"

"We're making progress." He defended deftly as he looked up from the paper with a tense expression, "Just a few more adjustments and we'll be there. Safety is a-"

Petra's laughter cut him off and she shook her head at the miffed look he shot her. She pointed at him triumphantly, "There, you see? That's exactly what I'm talking about; you're _stubborn, _Captain. We all are. The word impossible means nothing to us and we will spend our entire lives redefining what it is that can and can't be done. If we ever lose that spark, the Scouts are finished. This team would fall apart and then," she sighed sadly, shaking her head as her thoughts ran away with her, "Well then I guess I'd have no choice but to go home and accept-"

Levi rolled his eyes, "Fuck woman, shut up and stay on topic. No need to get so damned dramatic." He gave a loud cough and cleared his throat, motioning toward her with his hand, "I presume you're not busy right? Come over here and help me with the rest. This is good."

Petra again looked surprised but gave a cautious nod and moved over toward his desk, picking up her chair and scooching closer to him until she could read the document somewhat clearly from over his shoulder.

A sudden thought grabbed her attention, and she sat up as she looked toward him, "Oh real quick Captain, I was thinking about something you said earlier? About all the gossip and everything?"

He looked toward her and Petra gave a pensive nod, "I don't want to avoid the entire regiment, but maybe certain key areas, like the shower house, would be a good place for me to steer clear of for a bit? Just until everything simmers down and all."

"Okay?"

"Well it's just, I can shower _here_ of course, but it's always a big fight to get there and I don't want to have to take cold showers for who knows how long just because I'm avoiding the main one. It might be nice if, well…I'm just saying that if you were to-"

Levi sat up straighter and watched her directly with a single quirked eyebrow, giving her an unamused stare, "You want me to use my authority so you can get first dibs on the _shower_?"

Petra's mouth fell open at his deduction, not expecting that he would so easily see through her ruse. She gave a small, hopeful smile that she hoped would reel him in, "…I'll help you with your paperwork?"

He rolled his eyes and gave a long exhale through his nose, "Fine. I'll give you three weeks. After that it's back to you all duking it out amongst yourselves, I don't want to hear a damn word of it."

Petra beamed at him with a wide smile, instantly adjusting herself in the chair and making a determined face as she read over the paper in question. He sighed internally, wondering just how he would go about presenting this to the squad. They would no doubt accuse him of favoritism, and even though Petra's intentions were short sighted, there was value in keeping her out of the public eye for the time being.

His and her presence in the common areas would only stir the pot more and keep people talking, and in turn, Petra breaking down his door after hearing the latest rumors would likely become a daily ritual. If giving her rights to the first shower stopped that process or even just slowed it down a little, dealing with his squad's meager complaints about favoritism was a small price to pay.

He tapped his pen against the desk and cleared his mind of the subject, "Alright, now what do you think about this one?"

…

* * *

...

And there we are!

I am happy to report that the wedding arc is over, and we have officially paved the way for the next plot arc to begin. In terms of updates, I will attempt to update on the 2nd of June as that would follow my trend, but I will give you the heads up that it may end up being on the 3rd as I am traveling that weekend and I'm not sure if I really want to bring my laptop with me on the road or not.

The husband has a Spartan race, so I will be cheering him from the sidelines as I will run for hours on end before I_ ever _haul blocks of concrete a single step. Leave that one to the professionals. Either way, 2nd or 3rd you'll have the next chapter ready to go.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on Levi and his…haha, conversation with Petra. Bless his heart, she's impossible to understand sometimes but no one can deny that he gives it a good effort!

See yall around!


	9. The One Where Levi is Late

Hello everyone!

Hope yall had an awesome holiday weekend for Memorial Day last week. It's crazy to me that we are officially in the second half of the year, isn't this year just FLYING by? I think I posted the first of this chapter back in February, so that means we are hitting around four months that this story has been gaining ground and getting updates. That's insane to me!

As a spot of good news – I am so far ahead in what I've written out that I am ditching every other week and will be from now until the end of August updating WEEKLY._ After_ August we shall see – it just depends on how I can keep my nose to the grindstone.

Enjoy!

...

* * *

...

"You heard how late she tip toed back to her room last night, right? First bit of free time we've had in weeks and she spent every second of it with the Captain. What's worse, where are they now? It's one thing if they use their free time, but we are supposed to be on active duty in ten minutes. Where's Petra? Where's the Captain? There's no way it's a coincidence they're both gone at the same time like this."

"You're jumping to conclusions Oluo."

"I'm just calling a spade a spade is all. It's obvious there's something going on between them."

"And what if there is? They're married now. It's bound to happen sooner or later if it hasn't yet. The sooner you accept it the better it's gonna be for all of us."

When Petra had walked toward the common room to report for duty in the morning, this was _not_ the conversation she had expected to walk into. She crossed her arms and cleared her throat as she stood at the opposite end of the room, fixing her team with a pointed look that communicated she was far from amused at their current choice of conversation.

A long silence fell over the room as Petra inwardly fumed, debating how she should handle it. The Captain had given her permission some time ago to resort to violence if it came down to it, however she wasn't sure if his offer was still standing. Either way, it was tempting.

_No broken bones._

She gave a huff and moved toward them, "Do I _seriously _need to hear this from my own team too? Guys, what the hell? I'll have you know that the entire regiment is saying heaven knows what about me, and what's worse, my own team is suddenly whispering the same damn thing? No. Absolutely not."

She took further steps into the room, her anger increasing with each step the more she thought about it, "What more can I say? How many more times can I tell you that there is _nothing_ between me and the Captain? What _I_ want to know is why you're all so comfortable tearing me down like this. We're friends, we've bled for each other and fought side by side for years now – why is it that none of you are decent enough to even give me the benefit of the doubt on this? Even if you can't trust _me_, you really can't trust Levi? He _himself _has told you the exact same thing!"

Petra looked around the room sternly, satisfied that her teammates each wore guilty and remorseful expressions. It was a start at least.

She was now standing at the end of the table and she looked at Oluo directly, "For your information Oluo, I _was_ with the Captain all night. _Working_. Paperwork. Deadlines. Tell me, what did _you_ accomplish last night? Besides spying on me and coming up with your disgusting accusations?"

Oluo groaned and looked away from Petra in embarrassment from being called out. Next to the Captain, Petra was easily the most intimidating on their squad, only she had a _much_ shorter fuse. He cracked under the pressure that was her demanding stare, "Alright alright fine, I'm sorry okay? But if you and the Captain weren't-"

Petra quirked an eyebrow, _daring_ him to finish his sentence.

Oluo gulped at the threatening ginger and adjusted his sentence quickly, "I mean, with you both being so busy _working_ last night, I figured you might know where he is. Do you know why he's suddenly a no show?"

Petra blinked at the question, looking around for a moment and only now actually realizing that Levi was not in the room. She shook her head slowly, some of her previous anger redirected and exchanged for pure confusion. "I…I'm not sure actually."

It was in fact a valid concern, and while she didn't appreciate her squad's go-to theories as to why the Captain was late, she understood where it was coming from now. It wasn't uncommon for Levi to be the last one to show up, but it was _unheard_ of for him to actually be late.

She sighed in acceptance, deciding that starting the day off by picking a fight wouldn't help anyone in the least, especially with the Captain gone like this. "Alright, I'll go check on him. Seriously guys, I mean it. I _never_ want to have this conversation again or mark my words, there will be blood. There is Nothing. Going on. Between us. _Nothing_. Are we all understood?"

She looked at each of her squad mates one at a time, ensuring she received a nod or some form of confirmation that they understood and accepted her answer.

She gave a single nod and turned around, moving back toward the hall.

"…So why is she the one that's automatically running off to check on him?" Oluo whispered from behind her once he thought he would no longer be heard.

A 'Shhhhh' followed his question, and the room fell silent again.

Petra gave a heavy sigh and kept moving. It seemed the battle wasn't over after all then.

...

* * *

...

It wasn't much later that she had successfully tracked down their elusive Captain – it wasn't exactly like there were a large number of places he could be hiding, if hiding was even the correct word to begin with.

She had checked his office first, cautiously knocking on the door before peering inside, but after seeing no trace of Levi, she moved down the opposite hall towards his room.

She tapped gently on the door, "Captain, you in there?"

There was some shuffling, and a low 'Yeah' could be heard.

Well, that had been simple enough.

She knew better than to just enter without permission – his office was one thing, but his _bedroom_ was another entirely - so instead she moved closer in attempts to speak through the wooden door, "Sorry to bother, but we're all gathered to report for duty and it's not common for you to be late. We were kind of worried. Everything okay?"

"…Give me a sec." he responded after a moment, and more shuffling could be heard of what sounded like fabric, clothes or blankets perhaps, though she wasn't too sure.

After a moment she heard footsteps coming toward the door and she took a few steps back, certain Levi would not be pleased to find her pressed up against the door and listening in on whatever he was doing.

When he opened the door, Petra frowned, noting two things all at once.

The first was that he wasn't in uniform, or even close to it. Instead of crisp white clothes and the 3DM harness strapped around him, he was in a loose grey knit sort of shirt and over sized, baggy sweatpants that hung way too low on his hips. The second and, more alarming, thing that caught her attention was the undeniable fact that he was extremely pale, save for his cheeks, which were a flushed sort of pink shade.

"You're sick." Petra whispered in an immediate shocked whisper, and before Levi could get out a single word, as though every bit of maternal instinct kicked in at once, Petra took a step closer toward the Captain and placed a hand over his forehead. He made an irritated face and stepped back, all but hiding behind the door as Petra's eyes went wide at her confirmed suspicions. "Captain, you have a fever!"

He scowled, placing his own hand over his forehead and glaring toward her, "Yeah, no shit."

He had taken a breath in attempts to tell her to back off, though a sudden coughing fit wracked his body like a tidal wave. He leaned into the door and covered his mouth, coughing fiercely as his lungs itched and burned deep within his chest. He heard Petra gasp, though as he continued to cough and heave for air between spasms, he paid her little mind, clamping his eyes shut for a moment and breathing harshly as the fit subsided.

Damn it his head was _killing_ him.

Taking a breath, he looked toward Petra who watched him with obvious concern, and he despised the overwhelming pity that was evident in her eyes.

He stood up straighter from off the door and cleared his throat, attempting to speak, though his voice merely cracked as a result of his previous coughing. He groaned at his luck and cleared his throat with more gusto, irritated that he could only get out a whisper. He didn't need Petra watching him like he was going to keel over and die any second. Yes, he _was_ sick, but he obviously wasn't dying, so Petra's large doe eyes only served to irritate the hell out of him as he was already agitated as fuck.

He couldn't get any strength into his voice, but with the right intensity his _glare_ would be enough to convince her to leave. "I'm _fine_. It's just a fucking cold. Tell Eld to-" he took in a deep breath as the urge to cough built within his chest again, though he fought it stubbornly, forcing out words until his eyes began to water, "Tell Eld to run conditioning today and that-"

And again he was coughing, clutching the door tightly as his illness continued to plague him relentlessly.

Somewhere past the noise he was making, he could hear an irritated, 'Oh for Maria's sake' from Petra, and suddenly the door was pushed back, causing him to all but lose his balance until Petra grabbed his shoulders, stabilizing him and waiting for the coughing fit to end.

As he attempted to catch his breath, he slowly looked up from the ground toward Petra, who was still holding onto his shoulders firmly. He was expecting to see her large sad eyes, though was taken aback when her green orbs were narrowed in malice, not an ounce of sympathy left to be seen.

"You shouldn't be worried about Eld, you should be worried about you." She bit out, shaking her head firmly, "You're _sick_ Levi, and the sick need rest. You are going straight back to bed."

With a smooth flick of her wrist, she turned him around before he could say even a single word and began walking him back toward his bed, saying further things like 'You should have said something yesterday.' And 'I don't even know what type of medicine you'll need but like hell you're taking _all_ of it Captain, I swear if you so much as-"

Though he would never admit it, he was suddenly grateful that she had kept an arm on him as she marched him the five feet back to his bed. He was all at once extremely nauseous, and it seemed like the floor was moving beneath his feet – swaying back and forth with each shaky step he took.

He carefully sank back down onto the surface of his bed, taking in a collective breath and hoping that his sudden dizzy spell passed before Petra caught on. He looked over toward his subordinate and watched her in exhaustion, paying her no real mind as she took a few steps towards the head of his bed and began pulling back his blankets. It was only when she looked at him expectantly and waved the corner of his raised blanket toward him, that he understood her intentions.

He glared toward her from where he was sitting, wordlessly communicating that like_ hell_ he was letting her help him into bed, though after her single raised eyebrow and no-nonsense look, she gave an impatient, "Now. Levi."

He gave a defeated sigh and slowly crawled toward the blankets she pulled up, shifting his body below the weighted fabric and glaring at her tersely as she set the blankets back down around him in subdued frustration.

He coughed, keeping his voice just above a whisper, "If you try to tuck me in, I'll fucking slap you."

Petra rolled her eyes, "Please. In this condition you couldn't hit me if you wanted to. Now, what are your symptoms?"

Levi grimaced as he shifted his weight across the mattress, finding that his entire body ached and throbbed. Finding a comfortable position would be a difficult task. "My what?"

"Symptoms." Petra repeated, moving away from his bed and setting down on a nearby chair, "You're in no condition to go out like this. I'm not sure if we can get the doctor over here, but at the very least I should be able to grab you the right medicines. The sooner the better I say, so just tell me what-"

Levi shook his head, biting back another cough and looking straight up toward the ceiling, "No."

"No…?" Petra asked in question as she watched him in confusion, and Levi gave an additional short nod.

"You…" his voice was tired, his throat was raw, and his head was throbbing. It was hard for him to put a sentence together, but he knew that he couldn't have Petra just sitting in his room at his beck and call. Sick though he was, there were much better things she could be doing with her time, and what was more, he didn't _want_ her bothering him all hours of the day.

"You are on active duty right now. I expect Eld to-"

He heard Petra groan and the chair gave a loud creak as she stood back up, "Captain you've got to be kidding me, you're-"

Levi sat up from his bed, looking toward her with a narrowed gaze, frustrated that for all the years he had been her Captain, she rarely did what she was told without some form of argument. With how miserable he was feeling, he found his tolerance for Petra's willfulness to be at an all-time low, and he snapped.

"Fucking_ listen_ to me damn it! I'm still your goddamned _Captain_ whether I'm sick or not and I don't give a _fuck_ what you want to do. Until you can outrank me, you're shit out of luck and have to obey orders like everyone else." He took another labored breath and exhaled, finding that talking like this depleted his energy at an exponential rate. He looked away from Petra and toward the wall, lifting his head in a proud and stubborn manner, "Now. You're going back to the lobby and telling Eld that he is to lead conditioning throughout today."

He could hear Petra step closer toward his bedside and he could make out her worried expression from his peripheral vision, "Captain I know you aren't feeling well, but will you please just-"

"Dismissed Petra."

"What?"

"I said, _dismissed_. Now, piss off."

He barely choked out his sentence before another coughing fit overcame him, and he laid back into his mattress in frustration as the coughs continued to overwhelm his body. As he continued coughing, he caught Petra's irritated and skeptical 'Are you serious' stare, and he merely narrowed his gaze as he watched her in warning - annoyed that he could hardly speak two words without his throat protesting, but still wordlessly sending her the clear message that his order _would_ be respected.

There was a long silence, and Levi refused to meet her gaze further as he tried to catch his breath, merely staring at the wall until a low sigh was heard.

"…Very well, sir."

An eerie silence seemed to follow Petra as she quietly left his room without another word, and while the Captain normally would have spent time wondering if he had been too harsh on his willful, but _well-intended _subordinate, in his exhausted and miserable state, it wasn't long before sleep overcame him.

He wasn't sure how long he was asleep. It could have been hours, it could have been minutes, but all too soon there was another knock on his door.

"Captain, I'm coming in."

From his groggy and weakened state, he slowly recognized the voice as Petra's.

He was admittedly confused at first; he_ was_ aware that he had fallen asleep, but with the fact that Petra was already knocking on his door again – he vaguely, almost wearily, remembered that he had ordered her to return to active duty which should have kept her busy all day. Did that mean it was after dinner already? Had he actually been asleep that long?

He opened his eyes slowly, and grimly noted that, for it apparently being evening, his room was far too bright. He sighed internally, knowing that this meant that it wasn't evening at all and Petra wasn't off duty, of course not – like always, she _still_ wasn't listening to him.

_Fucking damn it all to hell._

She came into the room carrying a water bottle, and Levi sat up and groaned loudly, putting his head in his hands. He didn't have the energy to deal with her today, but even still he couldn't let her behavior go unchecked. Gods, she was a bigger pain in the ass than he could handle on a_ normal_ day, but today of all days? Shit, it just wasn't fair.

"Petra, I fucking swear, I _told_ you-"

She walked into the room confidently, moving toward him and sitting down on the edge of his bed, before finally crossing her arms with a smug expression, "You told me that I was outranked, so I decided to pull rank of my own."

Levi pulled his legs in closer as he sat up fully, glaring at the light in annoyance and holding his throbbing head. Was she purposefully speaking in riddles now? What she was saying made no damn sense! "What? What fucking 'rank' woman? Goddammit Petra, why don't you ever listen to me?"

She gave him a triumphant smirk, enjoying that she still managed to somehow come out on top, "Well after you so _rudely_ dismissed me, like a complete jackass I might add, I took a little walk down to Erwin's office and told him that you were sick and refusing to take care of yourself. He agreed that as your wife, I had every right to take some time off to care for my poor, sick husband."

Levi listened to her explanation bitterly and stared into his blankets in frustration. _So that's what she had done then_. She went around him and bitched to Erwin because she didn't get her way. _Of course _Erwin, who was so gung-ho about their relationship and them playing their stupid husband and wife roles, of course he would take her side.

"Fucking snitch. Snitches get stitches, Petra."

"Happy wife happy life,_ Levi_."

He groaned at her instant didn't miss a beat response and looked toward her angrily, still trying to send her the message that even if it was okay with Erwin, it sure as _hell_ wasn't okay with him. He had given her an outright order and she chose to skirt around it, hiding behind his sickness like an excuse as though he couldn't make proper judgement calls when he had a fever like this.

Fuck, she really pissed him off sometimes!

She gave a sigh at his dark glower and tried to soften her approach, "Listen, if it makes you feel any better the rest of the squad_ is_ running drills and conditioning just like you wanted. Oh right, and they wanted me to tell you that they wish you a speedy recovery. As for being off duty, that's just me. Don't worry, I won't be here watching you 24/7. I want to make sure you take your medicine, stay hydrated, that sort of thing. I'll try not to bother you too much."

Levi watched her for a long moment, and he was torn between saying thank you, or go fuck yourself.

He instead gave a long sigh, deciding to drop the topic all together as his head hurt way too much to do something as frivolous as sort through his conflicted emotions regarding Petra's stubborn course of action.

"Fever." He stated softly, and for a moment Petra watched him with a puzzled expression. Levi rolled his shoulders, a dull ache still plaguing the various muscles within his body, "My muscles are stiff too." A look of understanding crossed Petra's face, and Levi continued, "Chills, cough, congestion. I'm fine right now but if I stand up or move too fast I feel really dizzy and nauseated. My coordination is shit right now, and my balance is shot to hell."

Speaking was clearly a trigger for his cough, and he was subjected to yet another merciless wave of coughs that pressed the breath out of his lungs over and over until he was left gasping for air by the time the fit mercifully subsided.

Petra frowned as she watched this, never having seen Levi sick before. She supposed it shouldn't be _that_ surprising; she had known him for years and the fact that he was just now getting sick for the first time was a testament to his peak physical condition and overall good health, but it certainly couldn't last forever. Everyone got sick, sooner or later.

She reran his provided symptoms in her head and gave a thoughtful nod, committing his words to memory so he wouldn't have to repeat himself later. If anything, Levi was proud – she knew that him being vulnerable and weak when compared to his traditional self must have been hard, so even if he couldn't put it to words, she knew he deeply despised her choice to go around his back at all, but especially at a time like this.

"Have you been able to eat anything yet? If I _were_ to bring you something could you keep it down?"

Levi thought her question over, then finally shook his head, the mere thought of food causing his stomach to churn unpleasantly. His throat burned when he responded, and so he minced his words so he didn't speak any more than he absolutely had to, "No food."

Petra nodded and handed him the water bottle she had brought in, "Here, drink this if you can. It's just plain water, but you need to keep hydrated with a fever like that." She stood up from his bed and pointed toward the door, "I'm going to go and find the doctor. I may be gone for a few hours so I can get the medicine for you, but if he's not busy I'll try to have the doctor come here directly. I don't know about you, but I'd feel a lot better knowing you were looked at by a professional."

She looked down toward Levi, though he still avoided her gaze stubbornly, looking over to the opposite wall as she spoke. Petra sighed as she watched him, "…You're mad at me?"

The silence only extended further, confirming that while unspoken, yes, he was in fact upset with her and wanted her to know that he was deeply displeased with her for pulling such a stunt.

She watched him for a long moment, "Captain, you told me not that long ago that it was okay to break the rules if it protected myself or my comrades. In this case, the one I'm protecting is you. I won't apologize for doing the right thing, but I_ am_ sorry for going about it in a dirty way. I wouldn't have done it if you hadn't forced my hand like that though – I just wish you could accept some help from time to time. You're sick, and are trying to shoulder it all alone when there's just no reason for it. That's what friends are for, you know?"

Levi still refused to look at her, and Petra eventually moved to the door with an exhale, "Try to get some rest Captain."

She closed the door behind herself, leaving the aggravated Captain alone to wrestle with his thoughts.

...

* * *

...

"Let's see now, oh yes 103.2 looks like." A light chuckle, "In my expert opinion Captain, you sir, are sick!"

Petra had made good on her promise to try and get the doctor. The nurse at the reception desk from the medical ward had urged her time and time again to just grab a few medicines and be done with it. Considering the cold was going around the entire regiment, it was highly likely that he had the same thing as everyone else - but Petra insisted that she at least speak to the doctor in person to make sure that she was getting the Captain exactly what he needed and nothing else.

While the nurse was frustrated with Petra's stubbornness, there was nothing she could do, and begrudgingly signed her in to be seen. It had taken a few hours to get back considering she herself was not sick at all, and when her name was finally called and she was_ still_ given little to no attention, Petra knew it was time to change her approach. Getting suddenly angry, she had marched toward the exit and explained (loudly) that the patient in question was Levi Ackerman – Commander Erwin himself had sent her, and as Levi's wife it was her job to ensure that he received proper care, but considering they were _so _insistent on turning her away, she clearly had no choice but to report back to Erwin that they were unwilling to help in the slightest.

Before she had even reached the door, she found that the entire medical staff changed their tune almost immediately.

They earnestly agreed that it was important they send their best to check on Levi _personally, _they had no idea Erwin had sent her, congrats on the wedding by the way – it seemed no one wanted to be the one that explained to Erwin why they were too busy to see his right hand man Levi - and within a few moments, Petra and the _head_ doctor left the medic station and began walking toward the compound. As they walked back toward their building, Petra briefed him on the symptoms Levi had provided her, as well as any observations she herself made about Levi's present condition.

The doctor was an older gentleman, and one of the few Scouts who would never actually leave the Walls considering his valued profession. With the services he provided to his fellow Scouts, from assistance with meager colds all the way up to trauma and amputations, no one begrudged the medical team for not actually participating in the gruesome expeditions, more so grateful that they had access to their services in times of need.

"Alright, open your mouth and say 'ah'" the Doctor stated, bending over and looking in Levi's mouth, using a popsicle stick to press his tongue down further, "Tongue is pale, that's to be expected, and it looks like you've got some prominent drainage, so your throat is extremely raw as a result. Have you got much of a-"

As if to answer his question before he even got it out, Levi leaned back in his chair away from the man and began coughing fiercely, the Doctor's prior inspection causing an irritating burn to build in the back of his throat that he could no longer ignore.

As his cough died down and Levi panted for breath, he heard Petra speak somewhere from the back of his room, "Talking does that to him as well I've noticed; his cough is easily agitated."

The doctor gave a nod and grabbed his stethoscope, "Well let's take a listen in then, shall we?"

Petra watched as the doctor continued his checkup, moving the metal end of his stethoscope under the fabric of Levi's loose shirt, instructing him to 'breathe in, breathe out, big breath here, okay' before sliding the device a few inches across his chest and repeating the process, then once again over the expanse of his back.

"Okay, let me look at your ears as well, turn this way please?"

The doctor had checked a few more routine things, making passing comments about his findings before giving a thank you and standing up fully, writing more notes down on his clip board, "Alright Captain, few more questions here if you don't mind. Any dizziness or shortness of breath?"

Levi gave a grimace as he repositioned himself in the wooden chair he was sitting in, greatly missing the comforts of his bed that was a mere foot away because even sitting like this was a challenge for his compromised balance. He was extremely dizzy. He gave a weak nod, pressing his hair out of his face and sighing in exhaustion.

_How much longer was this going to take?_

"Nausea? Any vomiting?"

"Nausea yes, vomiting no."

"Any chest pains or numbness in your limbs?"

"Pain from coughing, yes. But no numbness."

"Alright thank you. Now, how long have you been experiencing these symptoms? Just this morning, right?"

"Yeah." Levi responded plainly, though again Petra spoke from behind him.

"Well he had a cough last night I remember. Granted it wasn't nearly this bad, but it was there for sure. Actually, he had it for most of the day now that I think about it, even so early as the morning hours during training. I think we all just wrote it off as the cold morning air, but now I'm not so sure."

The doctor looked between Petra and Levi, writing down a few more notes as he spoke, "Gotcha. Any other symptoms that were present before as well, or just the cough?"

Levi tried to sort out his thoughts of the night previous, finding that between his throbbing headache and exhausted body, his thoughts were unclear and impossible to make sense of. He shook his head after a few moments, "…I don't know."

"No that's fine. Any preexisting medical conditions or surgeries you've had in the past that aren't accounted for in your medical history?"

Levi gave a simple shake of his head, more than ready for the examination to be over.

It wasn't that the Doctor was being rude or imposing - truthfully, he was grateful Petra had gone through the trouble she had to get him there - but simply put, Levi was so tired and the fact he was struggling to answer such simple questions was irritating to him and bit at his pride continuously. He just wanted to get back in his bed and pass out. With any luck, by the time he woke up he would long be over his sudden illness and life could return to normal.

"Alright Captain, last question. Any allergies or medicines that we should avoid?"

Again, Levi shook his head, and the Doctor gave a thank you.

"Okay then," the doctor stated, picking up the large bag he had brought with him from the medic ward, "I think we are all set here."

"Is it the one cold that's going around?" Petra asked as she stood up from where she was previously leaning against the wall, an underlying guilt evident in her tone, "The nurse told me about it and said it's probably what he has, but I just wanted to be sure before he started taking all these different medicines that he may or may not need. I wasn't trying to be difficult, but I just…well, I worry too much I guess."

The Doctor gave a chuckle as he opened his bag, peering inside as he searched for some whatever, "Ah, Alyssa. She's a good nurse, truly, but she can get a little frazzled when we're busy and as a result she turns people away if she doesn't think they need it - I'll be sure to have a talk with her about how you were treated today."

Hearing this, Levi gave a confused look to Petra, not certain what the Doctor was talking about with his 'how you were treated today' comment, though as the man continued speaking, the subject wasn't explored further, "Either way, you actually made a good call Mrs. Ackerman, because Levi here, does not have a cold."

He grabbed out a small glass bottle with some clear liquid inside, looking it over and giving the vial a slight shake. The older man continued, "Considering the high fever that's occurring here, it's safe to assume he's got a virus, but his symptoms are much more severe, not to mention entirely _different_, from the Scouts we see right now that are passing the cold around. No, my guess – though you can never be too certain with viruses – is that we've got a case of the flu on our hands."

Petra gasped in concern as she looked toward Levi, who hardly responded to the diagnosis at all, which only concerned her more, "The flu? Like, the one people _die_ from every year?"

The Doctor nodded his head, "The same one, although I wouldn't be too worried about _that_ Mrs. Ackerman." He walked back toward Levi, "You're definitely sick Captain, but on the whole, you are the picture of good health, so after a few days of some intentional rest and recuperating, you should be just fine. In the meantime, I will leave a five-day supply of medicine that should be taken every four hours with a meal. If you can't stomach food, a glass of milk or juice will work as well. Even if you feel fine after two days, take the entire five-day supply or you may relapse. Understand?"

Though the question was directed to Levi, it was Petra who gave a firm nod, knowing that it would be up to her to ensure that Levi actually followed through on his provided prescription.

The Doctor gave a nod and pulled a syringe out of his bag, turning the previous vile upside down and pulling the correct dosage down through the thin needle, "Alright and one more thing that should help you feel better a whole lot sooner, I've got a shot of steroids here to help boost your immune system to fight this bug off. Stand up for a moment if you will; we'll get this taken care of and I'll get out of your hair."

Levi gave a slow nod and carefully lifted himself out of the chair, placing a hand down on his dresser to balance himself as he stood, finding that his equilibrium was still out of whack and as a result, the floor seemed to lose its obvious ups and downs.

"Alright thank you, now if you could lower the hem of your pants just a little on the backside-"

Hearing this, Petra instantly gave a cough and cleared her throat, admittedly more than embarrassed as she watched Levi reach toward his sweatpants without hesitation, "Oh - I'm uh, I'm going to go grab you some more water Captain." She gave a slight bow as she left the room hurriedly before any further actions could be taken, "Thank you for coming Doctor, I appreciate it."

Without any further hesitance or lingering, Petra was immediately out of the room and the door closed behind her with a sharp metallic click.

"Oh. Well, your wife is…surprisingly shy." The Doctor commented with a chuckle, and even in his miserable state, Levi couldn't help the smirk that pulled at the corner of his lips after witnessing Petra's not exactly subtle retreat.

"Alright now, a slight pinch."

Levi made a face; his smirk being replaced by a twisted frown as he felt a fiery sensation run down his leg then right back up his spine. In his life, he had been cut with jagged knives, broken more bones than he could count, stitched up his own wounds by hand without so much as a flinch, but now, _now_ Levi gave a pained groan that bordered an all-out yelp from the sharp sensation caused from the minuscule needle.

Damn it all, he _hated_ shots.

...

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End of Chapter

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...

Thanks for reading, until next week and I'll see yall then!


	10. The One With All the Tea

Morning readers!

Happy Sunday. Hope yalls weather was as nice as ours was on my end of the screen. I'm posting this and then I'm suiting up for the river for and will hopefully be gone all day. Water levels are NICE and kayaking is life out here, so it's time to get out of here and get some sun.

Not much to report on my end – enjoy the chapter and tell me your thoughts :)

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* * *

...

"How's he doing?" Eld asked between bites of his sandwich, and Petra sighed in exhaustion, picking at her food quietly before responding. Even though she had taken the day off duty, she was certain that she had already worked ten times harder than she would have if she had just done drills like Levi had insisted from the start.

Between the fighting for attention at the medical ward, running across the compound for whatever Levi needed, as well as hearing him complain about everything, absolutely _everything_ she did – she was exhausted. Watching over a sick Levi Ackerman was certainly _not_ for the faint of heart, and while she didn't regret choosing to take the day off to watch over him, she knew that she would sleep very well tonight when it was all said and done.

She rubbed her eyes in exhaustion, "He's resting right now. Honestly, I don't know if I've ever seen him sleep this much. It's a little scary to watch as it goes to show just how sick he really is, but considering how _pleasant_ he is when he's awake right now, I can't really complain too much. At the very least, he's _quiet_ when he's asleep."

The Doctor had left hours ago and once she finally worked up the nerve to return back to his room, Levi complained for a straight ten minutes that his ass was on fire, he bitterly drank the whole bottle of water Petra had brought to him in a show of indignance, had a few swallows of milk to wash down his first dose of medicine, and only_ then_ did he stand up from the chair he was stationed at, complaining further that she was intentionally hovering and babying him, but then demanding in the very next breath that she go fetch him more water because if she was _going_ to take the whole day off she may as well do _something_ other than stand around uselessly and piss him off.

His long rant had not surprisingly caused another painful coughing fit, this one so severe that Petra had to all but hold him upright as he nearly doubled over from the force of his own hacking, leaving his shoulders trembling and body quivering weakly in her arms. It wasn't until he heard Petra make a small, pained noise that Levi realized how tightly he had been gripping onto her for support, and he released his hold immediately, standing up fully and feeling a rising heat through his face and chest that wasn't entirely a result of his fever.

Saying nothing, demanding no apologies or explanations, Petra patiently held the Captain up supportively until his breathing fell back under control, and again wordlessly helped him back into bed while he avoided her gaze in either embarrassment, or newly gained humility.

Within minutes he was asleep again.

The first few times of entering his room after that, the turning door handle and creaking sound that resulted as she came into the room woke him up and subjected her to a few more of his sarcastic and scathing rants, where he'd complain about how noisy she was, remind her that he wasn't an invalid so she didn't need to coddle him, and for the last time he wasn't fucking hungry so she could just lay off.

Petra quickly learned to leave his door _open _just a few inches so she could peek in without actually disturbing him, and spare him the pain of talking, and spare herself the verbal beating. She entered his room once with a newly refilled water bottle, brought him some fruit from the kitchen should he decide perhaps that he _was_ hungry, but for the most part, as long as she didn't wake him, the Captain had mercifully remained asleep without incident.

When the guys returned for their afternoon lunch break, laughing and shoving each other as they sat down with their lunches, Petra had rushed into the main room, angrily shushing them until they fell silent in fear that their cavorting about would wake up Levi unnecessarily.

"So the Doctor says he's got the flu? How long do you think he'll be out of it?" Gunther asked next, and Petra considered his question for a moment.

"Well, considering-" Petra paused as she spoke, about to say something along the lines of, 'Considering he can't even stand on his own two feet right now' but found that she just couldn't bring herself to say something like that to her team. Levi was proud, and the fact she saw him at such a vulnerable time, the fact that when he coughed or struggled with his sickness he watched her bitterly as though he were _ashamed_ of himself and hated being seen as weak in front of her – her gut told her those intimate details should remain a secret from her team.

She shook her head, adjusting her previous choice of explanation, "Considering the Doctor gave him a five-day supply of medicine, at least today and tomorrow he'll probably be resting in bed, if_ I _have anything to say about it at least. If he reports back for duty after that, I can't see it being anything more than office work at first. He may go outside and tell us what to do perhaps, but his traditional ability to be out and leading drills or running with us, that may be a week or so as an estimate. He's really quite miserable."

Eld nodded at her response, chewing his sandwich thoughtfully. He swallowed and cleared his throat, "And how long are you planning to take off? Erwin said you could take whatever time you felt was necessary right? Are you going to be with Levi the whole time, or what are you thinking?"

Petra looked at Eld suspiciously, questioning the motive behind his concern considering all they had accused her of as of late - and the blonde sighed at her perhaps warranted lack of trust. While it was true he had given her a hard time right before their so-called wedding ceremony, Eld sincerely wanted nothing more than happiness for Petra. Even now he didn't agree with her decision but making her life hell at this point served no purpose as their marriage was a done deal.

He watched her with a small smile, "Calm down. That's not a loaded question Petra, I'm just wanting to know so I can plan these next few days out in terms of our exercise material. All the drama from this morning aside, we are_ all _worried about the Captain, so I don't think it bothers any of us that you are staying behind to watch over him. The guy is stubborn, so it puts us all at ease to know that you're here to keep him in check."

Petra watched Eld for an extended moment, finding his response innocent enough, and she conceded her suspicions with an accepting sigh of relief, "Well, I dunno. I'll play it by ear I guess. I haven't really had a chance to sit down until just now. Today will obviously be spent monitoring him. Tomorrow I'm _assuming_ I'll take off, but I really can't be too sure. If he's feeling better, then there's no reason for me to bother him. As for the days after that, if I feel he still could use the help, I may do like split days, where half the day I'm with the Captain, but the other I'm half running routines with you guys. I don't want to sit idle for too long or I'll get out of practice, you know? Levi definitely wouldn't want that, so I'll try to be mindful of how much time I'm taking off."

"Well that's reasonable." Gunther responded, taking a long drink from his water canteen and clearing his throat, "Are we all just about done here? I don't want to linger too long if it means we wake the Captain by mistake. He needs the rest, so we can go elsewhere for the rest of our lunch break. You gonna be alright Petra? If he's too much trouble you can always tag team with one of us, we'll make it work."

She stood up with her team, walking with them toward the door so she could close it quietly behind them, not sure how light of a sleeper Levi might be. She smiled as they each seemed to watch her in concern, and she found it ironic that it seemed they were actually _more_ worried for her than the Captain himself. "I'll be fine guys. _Tired_ sure, but I'll be alright. Now get out of here, you don't want to spend your entire lunch break fussing over me."

She gave her final goodbye's and quietly closed the door with a warm smile.

Gods they drove her nuts sometimes, but she really did love her team.

Taking a deep breath to focus herself, Petra tiptoed back down the hall with renewed purpose toward Levi's room. It had probably been a good forty minutes since she had last checked on him, so it was definitely time she made her rounds and stole a quick glance into his room just to double check that all was well.

She stepped quietly towards the Captain's door and peered inside, her eyes going wide at what she saw.

Levi was awake, sitting up in bed and pressed up against the wall with a blanket wrapped around him tightly. Even through the mess of the jumbled blanket, she could see he was literally _trembling_ as shivers racked across his body.

"Levi!" she gasped as she quickly tore across his room, though the Captain hardly even turned his attention toward her, merely made a pained expression as his teeth chattered together continuously. She sat down on his bed beside him - he didn't resist as she placed a hand over his forehead. She gave a long sigh at the overwhelming heat that emanated from his skin and looked at him in concern, "Damn it Levi, your fever spiked even higher. You okay?"

At her questions, he turned his head toward her slightly, blinking as though trying to focus on her, though he gave a defeated sigh and his head fell to the side limply and rested squarely on her shoulder. His voice was a mere whisper, "It's cold."

Petra gave a sympathetic sigh, again feeling his forehead and brushing the hair out of his face gently as he continued to rest against her shoulder and shiver against her. It seemed he had very little intention of moving, and while the contact didn't bother her, the fact he was _intentionally_ seeking out physical contact, even something small like this, was not a good sign and only made her worry intensify. She frowned and found herself again pressing her palm against his forehead gently, "No, it's _not_ cold Captain, you have a really high fever."

When a pained sort of moan left his lips and he nuzzled into her neck in clear misery, Petra looked around the room with wide eyes, feeling suddenly helpless. Even with the shot and his medicine, his fever was only climbing higher. Worse still, his next dose wasn't for another hour yet. What could she do to bring his fever down in the meantime? Should she just let him ride it out and wait for his next scheduled dose?

No, she couldn't do that, he was clearly miserable. She needed to do something now.

Would it hurt him if she perhaps gave it to him early?

She mentally turned down the idea, not knowing what sorts of impact the too early dose may have on him and deciding it simply wasn't worth the risk considering it wasn't her health she was gambling with.

It was tempting to just call the Doctor again. Considering they knew Erwin was somewhat involved, it wouldn't be hard to convince them that it was important Levi be double checked, the only problem was that by the time she got all the way there and back with the Doctor in tow, it would just be time for his medicine and they would leave it at that.

Besides…she couldn't leave the Captain all alone while he was like this.

As if to confirm her assessment, Levi coughed loudly, leaning forward and away from her as he coughed directly into the mattress. Petra watched him with ever growing concern, gingerly placing her hand across the center of his back – testing the waters slightly – before rubbing the expanse of his back in small gentle circles, hoping that the simple gesture would provide even a slight amount of comfort as the loud tremors tore across his body.

When his coughing fit finally came to a merciful end, Levi sat up slowly and leaned not against the wall, but rather against _Petra_ directly, his head resting back into the crook of her neck as he shivered and tried to get comfortable. He was resting himself against her completely, clutching on his blanket and still trembling from being 'cold' as he tried desperately to catch his breath because his coughing was growing all the more terrifying with intensity.

She frowned as the silence extended. She could feel his body heat radiating from him in waves, reminding her that she needed to be decisive and find a way to break his rising fever and fast. A fever this high was dangerous and she was suspicious that Levi was somewhat delirious due to the high temperature, as his behavior – while completely innocent in nature – was so unlike him that it made her worry increase all the more.

She needed to think of something. What did her father do back when she got sick like this? Were there any home remedies that might make him a little more comfortable while they waited for the medicine to kick in?

An idea finally came to her, and she tried to look down at Levi, though with how closely he was pressed against her, it was difficult to actually make eye contact with him. She carefully backed away and redirected him to rest back against the wall as she twisted herself off the surface of his bed in determination, "Listen Captain, I'm going to go run you a bath. My dad used to do that for me when I was sick, and I think it may help. We need to get your fever under control, it's way too high."

Levi opened his eyes a mere crack as she backed away, and whether he agreed or disagreed with her, he didn't have time to say as she left soon after.

It had been difficult and more of a pain than she ever thought possible, but she had somehow managed to move the Captain step by step out of his bedroom, all the way to the bathroom where she had a drawn bath waiting for him. While he could stand and support his weight, _walking_ was another matter entirely considering his balance was all but nonexistent at this point.

For every step he took, he leaned onto Petra for support and she learned very quickly that Levi was _amazingly_ heavy. She tried not to complain as it certainly wasn't his fault that he had fallen ill, but by the time they had slowly walked the meager distance from his room to the bathroom, she was exhausted and very ready for a break.

She walked him over to the sink so he could stand against it for support and balance, and once she was certain he was stable, she stood up slowly, popping her back and stretching her suddenly aching arms and legs because the task had been admittedly more difficult than she had expected.

Thank Maria_ that_ was finally over.

She took a moment to get her breathing under control, mentally checking the first task of 'Get Levi into the bathroom' off her to do list.

Now she just had to get him in the tub.

As she tried to think about how to accomplish this, an obvious problem came to mind and she felt a sort of mortified embarrassment come over her. She tried her best to sound confident and cleared her throat, "Alright Captain, the water is ready for you and I've got a towel setting on the rack here for when you're finished." She exhaled and looked at him directly, then lost her nerve and looked to the floor instead, "Do you need any help...you know, getting undressed?"

_Oh gods please say no._

She tried desperately to keep the tremble out of her voice, knowing now was not the time to be shy or self-conscious in the event that Captain legitimately needed her help, but despite her best efforts, her voice was weak and lacked the confidence she usually spoke with.

Levi shivered and crossed his arms tightly over his chest in attempts to warm himself, though wobbled in an unsteady manner and placed a hand back on the sink to balance himself. He seemed to think her question over for a long moment, then slowly shook his head. He cleared his throat, "I'll manage."

Petra gave a silent exhale of relief, giving a simple nod as she observed him, "Alright. Try to relax okay? I was thinking that while you're in here, I could make you a cup of tea? If that's okay with you of course, it would be your tea leaves that I'd be using after all."

Levi's eyes sparkled with sudden interest as he looked toward her – Petra had a feeling that he would like her idea – and he gave a slow nod as she continued speaking, "I was thinking green tea would be best if you had any. Green tea is supposed to have healing properties if I remember correctly, and at the very least it should help your throat, right? You'll just have to tell me how to make it as I can't remember the right ratios for that sort of thing. Do you keep your tea somewhere in your room?"

Levi slowly pulled his large shirt over his head, allowing the garment to drop on the floor without a second thought as his teeth chattered between words, "Green tea. It's in my office desk – one of the left drawers." He spoke quietly, rubbing his eyes as he tried to organize the vague collection of details he could recall about the specific tea, "Two spoonful of tea leaves per cup, steep for at least a minute and a half but never more than two minutes or it gets bitter."

Petra grabbed his forgotten shirt from off the floor and folded it quietly before setting it on the edge of the sink, not wanting him to later trip on the loose fabric when coming out of the tub. He was wobbly enough on his feet and he certainly didn't need any floor hazards to make the task any more difficult. She nodded toward him in confirmation, "In your office. Two spoonful, not more than two minutes. Got it."

She motioned toward the door, "Alright Captain, I'm going to leave and give you some privacy. If you need anything just holler. I'll come back in and check on you about twenty or so minutes and I'll have your tea ready for you. Want me to grab you some food while I'm out? It's coming up on your next dose of medicine and you haven't eaten all day."

Levi took a long breath and exhaled, clearly still exhausted from the challenging excursion that was their previous trip from his bedroom to the bathroom. He sighed and shook his head, keeping a firm grip on the sink as the room continued to spin without any discernable direction, "No, I feel like shit."

She nodded, "Very well, Captain. I'll just get you another glass of milk for now and we can revisit the matter come dinner time okay?" Petra exited the room and closed the door behind herself, choosing to rest against the nearby wall for a few moments and listen in for any sounds that might indicate he was having trouble. While Levi _had_ stated he could manage on his own, after the miserable walk they shared just to _get_ here, she wasn't exactly convinced. She at least wanted to stick around until she could hear the sound of moving water, that would be proof enough for her.

After a few minutes went by, more rustling fabric, another coughing fit that she felt guilty not being beside him for, finally the sound of moving water could be heard. Petra sighed in relief and pushed off the wall so she could get a start on her new line of tasks - at least until Levi's alarmed voice suddenly echoed loudly from within the bathroom.

"Mother_ FUCKER_!"

His voice was the loudest that it had been all day, and in an instant, Petra's hand was back on the door handle, ready to run into the room if there was any further indication that something was wrong. She didn't want to jump to any hasty conclusions - after all he didn't call her directly so maybe…he was alright? She couldn't barge in on him unless she was _absolutely certain_ he was in danger.

She spoke loudly through the door, her voice demanding and audibly showed signs of panic, "Levi! Are you okay? What's wrong?"

His previous shout was not without consequences, and Petra had to anxiously wait out another one of his coughing fits, the sounds echoing throughout the small room and making her feel even_ more _guilty as the not knowing continued to eat at her nerves. As he continued hacking, Petra continued to feel more and more anxious and impatient.

Should she just barge in? She wasn't trying to _spy_ on him or anything, surely he would understand right? Damn it all, maybe she should have just stayed in the bathroom to begin with! She could have always faced the wall as he undressed, closed her eyes, or hell, actually just _seen him naked_ but handle it like an adult and move on like the professional she was.

As he continued coughing, she gripped the handle even tighter. She was certain that something was wrong, and his state of dress was becoming the least of her worries as worry and 'what ifs' plagued her mind. Just as she was turning the door handle with the intention of walking in on him, his cough subsided, and he cleared his throat to respond.

"…Why is the water fucking _cold_ Petra?" Levi's raspy and weak voice reverberated off the walls, and in that moment Petra sighed in overwhelming relief and dropped her death grip on the door handle, resting her head against the door as her heart continued to beat wildly, pounding firmly against her rib cage from what she had thought had been a potentially terrible turn of fate.

_Gods he had really worried her!_

She moved back toward the door frame and leaned back against the wall, turning her head towards the door and responding gently, still just happy that he seemed to be alright. "Of course the water is _cold_ Captain, we have to break your fever somehow. I told you my dad used to do this when I was a kid."

"You never said it was _cold."_

Petra remained patient and a light smile pulled at her lips, "Just stay in there for a little while longer. Yes it's miserable in the moment, but if it gets your fever to break you'll feel so much better. Besides, you will have tea waiting for you when you're done so just put up with it as long as you can okay?"

There was a long sigh that followed her explanation, and Levi responded bitterly, "Bribing me with damned tea…the _tea_ better be hot at least."

She smiled at his grouchy response, taking further comfort in the fact he was at least speaking and responding to her now – a drastic improvement from the miserable and quiet Levi that she had found and had to drag to the bathroom step by step a mere ten minutes ago.

"I'll be back in a little while." She reaffirmed, walking away from the bathroom and finally toward his office.

She wasn't sure why, but she found herself knocking on the door before peering inside, taking the first few steps into the lifeless room and closing the door behind herself, admittedly a little on edge. She wasn't sure why she felt so uneasy about being in his office like this – it was as though she was expecting someone to jump out from behind a curtain and shout, 'What are you doing in here?!'

It was just so _weird_ when he wasn't there. It wasn't like his office was off limits or anything, but for the life of her, she couldn't remember ever having needed to step foot in his office without Levi himself already being present beforehand. It had somehow become sacred ground in her mind - the location where Levi sat down to do…whatever it was he did while he wasn't commanding their team throughout the day - and now with how quiet and empty the room was without him there, it just seemed wrong for her to be snooping around through his things.

She could see it in her mind so clearly, as it was always the same conversation time and time again. She would burst through the door, immediately start talking without giving him a moment to pause or mentally switch gears, and he would give a long, low sigh. His pen would tap a few times against his desk in unspoken rebellion, and Levi would slowly set it down before looking at her in barely restrained irritation, his voice deceptively smooth, 'What can I _help_ you with Petra?'

He always emphasized the word 'help' for some reason, most likely his passive aggressive attempt to make her get to the point, before watching her in a manner that suggested he was debating if he could successfully get away with murdering her or not. Thinking of the expression he would watch her with, a mix of desperation and utter exasperation, Petra almost smiled in satisfaction. Not many could get him into such a state as quickly as she could – Hanji _was_ good competition though.

Petra exhaled as she made her way across the floor, knowing that being so nervous was just silly. Levi knew she was going in there, she would obviously have to dig through his desk if she was ever going to make good on her promise to prepare his tea for him, so there was no reason to be so intimidated by his empty, unguarded office.

She walked around to the other side of his desk and took a seat in his large office chair. She made a shocked face as she sank into the chair fully, setting her hands down across the arm rests and all but gasping at just how _comfortable_ it was.

Oh yes, she understood _everything_ now.

The chair was padded, it could swivel, it had a large back that rose high against her neck and shoulders – she gave a contented sigh and relaxed even deeper into the chair, rolling her shoulders and exhaling in a carefree manner; extremely pleased with her discovery of the Captain's secret throne.

She could totally get used to sitting here; it was no wonder the Captain spent so much time in his office, what with a chair like this waiting for him. Forget her pay checks, forget worthless _money_ \- how many hours did she need to work until she could get one of these _chairs_? Did _all_ Officers get one? Maybe it was that nice store he had taken her to, this _was_ the kind of chair they would sell in such an elegant establishment, she was sure of it. Or perhaps…did Levi have to make a dark deal in the black market from way back in his Underground days?

Petra puzzled over this, not sure if people actually sold _chairs_ in the black market or not. It _was_ an exceptional chair to be sure but…Petra blinked in wonder, surprising even herself with the odd direction her thoughts had taken her. She supposed it just went to show how much she actually knew about that side of society, or fancy chairs in general, and she forced her mind to get back on task.

Right, where did he say he kept the tea at? Somewhere in his desk right? Had he been more specific than just 'in his desk'? She couldn't remember now.

Petra opened the long, thin drawer that rested just beneath the surface of the desk itself, rolling the chair back slightly (It even had _wheels_?) and looking into the drawer curiously. It was a little disappointing as nothing fancy really jumped out at her. There was a number of pens and pencils, small pads of paper, a stack of envelopes, some paper clips – no tea.

Petra closed the drawer and moved to one of the larger desk drawers, pleased to see that her search was already over, just as simple as that. There were about eight individual tins that took up the majority of the drawer's space, and Petra looked passively over each one, eyes going wide as she quickly realized that there was not a label to be seen on any of them.

…How was she supposed to know which one was which?

After a moment of thought she supposed it only made sense, Levi wouldn't need the labels – he knew tea enough where the look or smell would be enough to distinguish one tea from another, however Petra was not nearly as versed as the Captain. She had drunk a few cups of Earl Grey tea in her lifetime, but for the most part, she was a complete novice at this sort of thing.

She opened the first tin, seeing a collection of what Petra could only describe as some sort of…sun dried mulch. It looked to be nothing more than cracked leaves, small twigs, bits of hay and grass clippings – she_ knew _full well that it was a treasured tea of the Captain's and he would all but choke after hearing her initial thoughts of comparing it to mulch –but to be fair it did_ smell_ nice at least. There was an earthy quality to it and a light minty something or other that she couldn't quite name.

She set it aside and grabbed the next tin, pulling off the lid and smelling the contents curiously. Even with the little experience she had with tea, she knew full well that whatever this was, it was a black tea of some kind. As if the color of the blackened contents weren't enough, the sweet robust smell was a giveaway even to her untrained nose.

Well at least that was one tea she could cross off the list.

Petra continued, going through the various other tins and mentally attempting to distinguish the different types of tea that were in front of her. How many types of tea were there to start with? She knew there was green tea, and of course black tea and…

And…

Her mind blanked and she groaned, looking at the various tins and finding that she couldn't determine for the life of her what other types there were, or what may be what. While they did all look different and have different robustness or sweet notes to their scents, at the end of the day it all just looked and smelled like _tea _to her.

After debating with herself for what felt like an eternity, Petra finally settled on one tin that she figured just had to be a green tea. It smelled somewhat floral – a good sign she imagined – and the tea leaves or grass or whatever it was that even made tea, appeared to be dried needles of an evergreen or fir tree. Had it not been for the light floral smell, she would have assumed it _was_ dried evergreen needles and been none the wiser.

She wasn't too certain but felt just confident enough in her decision that she began placing the other tins back in the drawer one by one, leaving just her one selected tea out on top of his desk. She was preparing to stand up and leave his office, tea in hand, when a sudden curiosity overcame her – a Pandora's box moment – and she pondered with growing curiosity what else might be in his desk.

She knew from the start that it wouldn't be anything exciting; her Captain wouldn't have any need to store useless items in his desk so it would likely be just papers, progress reports, training diagrams, yet even still Petra felt an itching need to glimpse into a behind the scene's sort of look at what comprised the rest of the Captain's day to day tasks when he wasn't shouting and running the squad to exhaustion.

…He wouldn't mind, right?

Petra pressed her lips together and looked around the room nervously, again as though she were afraid of being caught doing something she shouldn't be, and slowly opened a different drawer inch by inch, peering inside with bated breath at whatever secrets the drawer might contain.

Petra sighed in disappointment, opening the drawer to its fullest extent once she figured out what 'treasures' were contained inside and frowned at how anticlimactic her findings were.

Not surprisingly, it was as she had expected. A few manila folders were stacked upward with black marker'd tags that read, 'Training', 'Inventory', 'Schedules', 'Pay Statements' and other completely boring subject matters. She frowned at how dull his desk turned out to be, and with much less enthusiasm, opened the other two drawers that comprised his desk, simply seeing even _more_ folders with similar boring subject matters written out on the tabs.

She clicked her tongue and made a face, suddenly having a newfound understanding for why the Captain always seemed to be behind in his paperwork. Aside from his super fancy chair, there was nothing appealing about these forms and nothing that would make him want to spend his time answering the lackluster questions about their training progress and how he planned to achieve greater performance in the future.

It was all diplomatic, bureaucratic – considering the fact that their squad didn't follow the rules and had no real guidebook to go off from, most of these forms truly were a waste of time from start to finish.

Yuck.

She grabbed out a folder, one marked 'To Do' and scanned through it, eyes passively reviewing the various pages and questions that he was expected to answer on a routine basis – even in the two seconds she had spent looking at it she found it boring as hell – however a bright yellow note caught her attention as she scanned through the various pages as though they were part of a children's flip book.

She stopped her page turning and more intentionally went back page by page to find whatever yellow note had caught her attention previously. It was a smaller sheet of paper that was clipped onto a document, with a black, bold hand-written message across it:

"_Levi,_

_This was due two weeks ago. I understand the new forms have put you behind, but I expect this to be completed as a top priority. Get it together._

_-Erwin"_

Petra frowned as she read the note, her stomach churning as she realized that she had officially crossed the lines of casual curiosity, to legitimate snooping through Levi's things. A part of her knew he wouldn't want her digging through his things_ this_ intimately, but her own curiosity gripped at her again and she couldn't stop the questions that now plagued her mind.

How old was this note? Had he just gotten it today, where Erwin stopped by and placed it into Levi's 'To Do' folder and walked away, knowing Levi would have to get to it when he was feeling better? Or perhaps this note was from weeks ago, and Levi _still _hadn't gotten around to it?

Furthermore, what 'new forms' was he talking about that put Levi behind? Had he ever been caught up to start with? Was he just a little behind, or _drastically_ behind? Was it more of a slap on the wrist, irritation sort of deal, or was he legitimately in trouble with the Commander?

Gods, Eld would have a hay day if he saw this note…

Petra chewed her bottom lip as she grabbed out the document that Levi was supposed to have turned in who knows how long ago, and she only grew more confused as she looked over whatever it was that he was supposed to have filled out. It had…charts of some kind? Was it used for metrics, or inventory or…she had no idea what, but apparently it was important enough that Erwin himself was fussing about it.

She shook her head in concern, but knowing there was nothing she could do, Petra merely placed both the form and its angry yellow note back in the folder. Concerned and intrigued, Petra began to actually start _looking_ at what it was that was housed in the folder. To her surprise, that was the first of _many_ hand-written notes that expressed how late he was turning in such and such forms. Some were from Hanji, others from Erwin, and others from various divisions within the Scout Regiment that had routine forms that needed to be updated, and Levi had apparently dropped the ball there as well.

This baffled Petra, as she knew full well that Levi was not lazy. While he didn't necessarily care about the paperwork, he did care about his role as a Scout and wouldn't let himself fall behind like this just because. There had to be a reason.

The 'new forms' that Erwin had mentioned, that just _had_ to be it. But what new forms though? Obviously, she wasn't a Captain, nor a Commanding Officer of any kind, but even still, she hadn't heard of any new procedures or changes in the higher ups that would trickle down and cause a sudden explosion of paperwork like this – so what sudden task got Levi so behind in the first place?

Petra felt a knot of worry form in her stomach – she wasn't sure exactly _what_ she was worried about – and she began to look through the other folders for some sort of answer as to what in the world was causing Levi to fall so far behind like this.

It was hard to know what she was looking for. The more she scanned the various pages and folders that comprised the majority of his desk, the more she realized how much the Captain knew and was held responsible for. It was painfully clear how different their roles really were - half the things she looked at she didn't even know how to fill out, and the other half, she found she had no idea what the form was even talking about to begin with.

She gave a long sigh, discouraged and feeling admittedly guilty. She had no clue the kind of stress Levi was under, and it wasn't just her – _none_ of her squad had any knowledge that Levi was struggling like this. Eld had joked about it some weeks ago, but it was a joke, a suspicion that a mere form or two was a couple days behind. Not…not _this_.

What was worse, even knowing how behind he was, after seeing the forms and all the angry notes demanding he turn in this paper immediately – reality was she had no clue how to fill them out. She wasn't a Captain, she wasn't a Commanding Officer of any kind. Even if she had_ wanted_ to help him, she truly didn't know how.

With a sudden gloominess, Petra began to place his folders back one by one, thinking maybe it was for the best that she put an end to her search. She couldn't help him much on this ground, but perhaps her watching over him while he was sick might help him recover sooner and he could get a jump on everything. It was better than nothing at least.

She placed the folders back, preparing to close the last drawer and be done with it when a file moved just right and caught her attention.

Petra.

Her name was what was written on the subject tab.

She curiously grabbed it, expecting to see a Gunther, or Oluo, or Eld folder underneath it – but was surprised even more after realizing that this folder was a standalone. She double checked back through the other drawers, all the various folders, but sure enough…this was a one off.

Well now she was _definitely _curious.

Was she that troublesome that she got a folder all to herself?

Petra, amused and curious, opened the folder, expecting to see either a hand-written list of all the various things she had complained about, perhaps a form documenting her other expenses that her male teammates didn't share - bras, pads, other pleasant things she _loved_ having to request from Levi every so often – but when she opened the folder to the first page, her eyebrows pulled down in confusion, not having expected something like this.

It was a pay stub, of her…and _Levi's_ pay?

_A combined paycheck?_

What the…?

That was a weird glitch. Looking at the date, it seemed that their most recent paycheck had somehow been combined into one and went straight to Levi's account by mistake. The page that followed was a receipt that showed the separated amount after he withdrew her funds individually. He hadn't said anything to her about it last week, merely handed her her pay as usual and said nothing about the mix up. It seemed the problem was the original check was written out to 'Levi and Petra Ackerman' and so – her mind seemed to snap the pieces into place and she flipped to the next page hastily, her breath catching in her lungs as her sudden suspicion grew stronger with each word she read.

No. It couldn't be…

She continued flipping pages, her eyes growing wide, a hand moving to cover her suddenly gaping mouth as she continued flipping one page after another, after another.

All these forms, every single one, page after page, document after document – she closed the folder for a second, horrified after realizing how thick this folder actually was – before opening it back up and reviewing it further as tears began to well in her eyes… These were all forms Levi had received as a result of their _wedding_ two weeks ago. It was all forms, tax documents, confirmation of identity, verification of employment, on and on the papers went.

That was it then.

_She_ was why he had fallen so far behind. The new forms were all a result of the trouble she had caused him.

Her eyes scanned the pages in outright disbelief. Some various documents had already been filled out and returned, some stating this form was filled out in error, some that further verification was needed, some stating that copies in triplicate needed to be sent over to such and such office for documentation – Petra set the folder down across his desk and brought her hands over her face, frustration and sadness overwhelming her every thought as she finally realized all that Levi had been dealing with.

Damn it!

He…he hadn't told her! He had never once mentioned the burden he was being crushed under; he had never once stopped to tell her that his _own _performance was falling behind because he was so busy with all the sudden duties that resulted from being her new husband – Damn it!

Petra stood up with a snap, pacing the room as thoughts raced wildly within her head.

Why didn't he just say something? It seemed _Erwin_ knew about the sudden influx of papers that required his attention. It was likely that Hanji knew as well in that case – so why didn't she? Did he not trust her? Did he think it best that he just shoulder these things alone?

Was…was this why he had gotten so sick? All the sudden stress from the mountains of paperwork, the angry notes that discouraged and only confirmed that he was falling more and more behind with no end in sight? Had he been so stressed out, run ragged with the recent demands that his body just couldn't keep up anymore?

Gods, Petra felt like putting her fist through a wall.

She hadn't asked him to do that for her, and yet he had chosen to anyway. He never fussed, never begrudged her for the abundant trouble she had been causing him for three straight weeks – he was all but drowning in the consequences of _her _problems, but wore it behind his perfect unreadable mask so things would go right back to normal on his team, just like he had promised.

Damn it, she felt like such an idiot!

Interrupting her thoughts, she could hear Levi from across the Compound, suddenly coughing and hacking in misery.

It sounded bad. Real bad.

She sighed and tried to clear her head, knowing she needed to get back to him but couldn't risk him finding out that she knew. She pressed her trembling lips together, vowing to herself that somehow, she was going to pay the Captain back. She didn't know how, but she would find a way to make it right.

Bolstering up her fragile emotions, Petra wiped her eyes, grabbed the tea from off his desk, and headed back toward the bathroom where her sick Captain was waiting.

...

* * *

End Of Chapter

* * *

...

*relaxes into couch*

Actually guys, this was a pretty long chapter as well! I always like to comb through the chapters just ONE last time before I post them, and I've gotta say, it took me a while go get that last read through because there's a lot of material here!

I know I say this every chapter, but I love this section so much. I think the part that makes me laugh, and it wasn't done intentionally because I LOVE symbolism and irony and all those literary devices, but the fact that Petra goes looking in Levi's desk for tea – literal tea, not the 'drama' tea mind you – and yet, still manages to find plenty of both!

Oh the tea! So much tea!

In addition, I myself am actually a big fan of loose leaf tea (has nothing to do with Levi, I swear.) and maybe its not as clever as I thought, but long story short, I have a lot of tea I keep at my desk at work so one day I was fixing to make myself a cup, and my coworker, being dead serious was all 'What's with the tin of mulch?'

I laughed so, so hard, because it made me realize that to the untrained eye that's what a few teas _would_ look like – and that's where Petra's comment about how the tea just looked like twigs and grass clippings came from. I can't read that section without laughing hysterically now as I always remember my coworkers face as he watched me methodically measure out my 'mulch' and drink it.

Anyhow, off to the river! Wish us luck in that we don't burn to a crisp, and I'll see yall next week.

~Midnight


	11. The One Where Petra is Quiet

Happy Father's Day to all!

I know days like today can be as greatly anticipated by some just as greatly as they are dreaded by others – it's a very _personal_ holiday for many and I hope that you find yourself at peace and having a good day thru the ups and downs of a day like this one. As for me, I'm blessed in the relationships that I have so on my end, it's a good day of time with family as well as being able to celebrate with my husband the joys he has of being a newish father. (Come on terrible twos!)

Shout out to all those who shared their thoughts last time around – I love that many people have stated they enjoyed the sort of family feel that the Levi squad seems to carry, as well as the fact that their characters have been brought to life while staying true to who they were in the canon universe. I truly strive hard to keep that balance, and the fact that you guys are seeing that and able to enjoy the read all the more just makes me smile :)

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* * *

...

Petra had carefully walked back toward the bathroom, taking great efforts to make sure that not single drop of the Captain's tea was spilled throughout her journey.

With one hand she knocked on the door, and with the other she kept a firm and protective grasp on the teacup, "Hey Captain, how's it going in there? Can I come in, or are you still soaking?'

There was a delay in his response, though the Captain did respond eventually. He sounded out of it again, "Huh? Oh, no I'm done. It's…it's fine."

Petra felt a growing concern at his dazed response and wasted no time in opening the door to finally see how he was doing. The moment the door opened, a large wave of steam hit her like a wall from within the previously confined space, and Petra blinked in shock at the practical sauna she had stepped into, mouth agape as she searched for the Captain through the steamy foggy space with squinted eyes.

Levi was dressed and sitting on the closed toilet, leaning back against the wall with a towel draped over his shoulders. Even with all the steam in the room, she could see he had a flushed, feverish glow again.

"Levi, you! You son of a-" she began waving her free hand in the air and trying to clear the room of all the steam that was still visibly floating in the air, "I can't believe you would – you have a fever and you_ still_ chose to-" Petra looked around the room in pure disbelief and utter outrage. There was condensation across the walls, the mirror was dripping and fogged over – the fucking child that he was, he apparently decided to take a _hot_ bath in the end.

Damn it, she was going to fucking murder his stubborn ass!

He slowly turned his head toward her, eyes narrowed, "Piss off. Like you're the only one who knows how the hot and cold water works around here."

Petra swore her eye twitched, and she set the tea down on the edge of the bathroom sink, marching over toward him and all but shouting straight in his face as she leaned down closer toward him, "You have a fever Levi, and if you don't take care of yourself properly you're just going to get sicker! Fucking hell Captain, what the hell's wrong with you?"

He looked away from her, not seeming to be the least bit remorseful of his actions. He crossed his arms over his chest, "I was cold."

As Petra watched his stubborn display, she swore something inside of herself snapped. She clapped her hands together in attempts to not start screaming, fingers itching with the sudden need to creep around his flushed neck and drain the life out of the man who was so stubbornly spurning all her attempts to help! She should have just done drills with Eld. She should have just left the Captain to his own devices. Sure it would take him twelve times longer to get over it, but she wouldn't have to subject herself to his stubborn antics like this.

Her eyes narrowed as she stood up fully, and she marched back to the sink, picking up his cup of tea and glaring at him in anger, "_You_." She seethed lowly, looking at him flatly and then toward the tea in her hand, "You don't deserve this! You know what? I am taking your stupid fucking tea and – ugh! To think that I-"

Levi sat up straight, groaning loudly as he watched her in a mix of worry and irritation, "Fucking shit, Petra. Put. The cup. _Down_."

She held the cup indignantly as she watched him in outrage, shaking her head sarcastically, "Oh I'll put it down alright, down the damned_ drain_. Mark my words Captain, you've crossed a line. I've been dealing with your bad attitude, your insults, your lack of appreciation of _any _kind whatsoever, and I've had it up to _here_ with your shit! Your health _isn't_ a joke to me and I'm trying my damnedest to-"

Levi rolled his eyes and tried again, admittedly a little intimidated by the crazy look in her eyes that she watched him with, but trying to play it off coolly and put the matter behind them, "Woman, calm down. It was just a little hot water and I-" he fought back a cough and cleared his agitated, burning throat, "I order you to-"

"Oh, so you _order_ me now? Well piss on _you_!" Petra laughed and cut him off with a dangerous smile that quickly fell into a scowl, "Out of the kindness of my _soul_ I drew you a bath, had to practically carry your heavy ass all the way here, made you your stupid green tea – all you had to do was sit in the tub so the cold water could bring your fever down, but no, you couldn't do even that one simple thing! Now you think that you _ordering_ me to give you the tea you don't even fucking deserve will help you now? Ha! And here I thought you didn't have a sense of humor!"

Levi had opened his mouth to respond, though his eyes widened as a torrent of loud, sharp coughs erupted from his chest without warning. The force of his coughing was so strong that it almost knocked him down to the ground and he clutched desperately onto the nearby counter to keep himself upright.

Petra watched him in irritation as she waited for the fit to come to an end so she could resume her previous shouting at him, but his coughing continued, and continued still, until it wasn't funny or amusing anymore. He just _kept_ coughing all the more with greater force, and Petra's expression changed from initial anger to undisguised concern.

As he coughed, she listened purposely for the sharp sound that would follow when he would take a gasping breath for air between the spasms, a raspy sort of rattle that would stand out in contrast, but as he coughed and coughed and coughed, the sharp gasp, the rasping…didn't come.

Not once.

"Levi, breathe!" Petra shouted at him in alarm as she set the tea down, taking the few steps toward where he was sitting and crouching down beside him with a panicked expression. She placed a hand over his back and leaned closer toward him. She wasn't sure if he was trying to tell her to back off, or if he was communicating that he _couldn't _breathe, but he gave a few shakes of his head back and forth, bent in half as he coughed toward the ground in strong, forceful waves. He continued hacking and wheezing with terrifying vigor, and it was then that Petra noticed small droplets of red creeping out of his clutched hands.

…_.Was that?_

Damn it, he _still_ hadn't breathed, his cough just kept coming with greater force, and now there was _blood_? Petra bit her lip in question, eyes going wide with all the unknows of the situation she found them in. What should she do? She knew she needed to act fast, but it was just so hard to think clearly with all this steam! The room was so stuffy and humid and –

Petra's eyes widened in realization, thinking back to the suddenly intense coughs she had heard all the way from his office. It was those suddenly more ferocious coughs that had brought her here in the first place; it was because of the steam, it _had_ to be. The surrounding air was so thick that it was hard for _her_ to breathe, so she could only imagine the impact the heavy air was having on his sensitive lungs.

It was likely that his condition would get progressively worse the longer he stayed in the room. At the very least, it was better than doing nothing.

Petra stood up and planted her feet in preparation, grabbing Levi by the arm and tugging him forward with a hard yank, not caring if he fell onto the ground or was crawling or whatever happened – he needed to get _out_ of the humid air as quickly as possible.

He stumbled forward onto the ground, his cough not letting up as he tried to move his legs to keep up with the sudden force Petra was dragging him with, half crawling as his lungs continued to heave and expel any air left within him and then some, until there was nothing left in him.

It was hard to think, it was hard to do much of anything – all he felt was the uncontrollable urge to cough and even as his vision began to get spotty and he knew he was on the verge of passing out from the lack of oxygen – his lungs just kept heaving and contracting against his will.

Petra watched Levi fiercely, driven by his lack of color and the blood painting his pale lips, continuing to pull and yank him in determination, forcing him out of the bathroom, out of the hallway, pulling and tugging with every ounce of strength she had until they were finally out in the common room – _the room was so large it was always impossibly cold_ – and with one last yank both she and the Captain fell forward onto the ground in a heap.

Levi was on all fours and barely conscious from his coughing fit that seemed to never end. Fuck, just how much more could he take before he passed out? His coughing had been bad before, but this…_this_ was something else.

His head was aching, it felt as though his ribcage had shattered, his throat was burning terribly – he couldn't_ remember_ the last time his breathing had been this erratic - his vision was blurry, and his entire body was _shaking _as he struggled to keep himself upright and not outright collapse onto the ground.

At this rate, he _would_ pass out, and soon.

Coughs continued to erupt from his body just the same, but there was finally a split-second where he was able to pull the smallest trace of fresh air into his lungs. His coughing resumed a fraction of a second later, although it seemed the cough's intensity somewhat _weakened_ after being exposed to the cooler air, the itching in his chest less intense and his lungs contracting with a muted degree of force. Taking note of this, Levi intentionally fought against his cough with a vengeance, pulling in as much of the colder air as he could manage, despite the pain the sharp breaths brought him, because for every breath he managed to take, his cough continued to weaken in immediate response.

Exhausted though he was, lungs burning, body trembling and the taste of blood hot in his mouth, Levi continued fighting his cough stubbornly, pulling in the cold air with sharp gasps that only made his lungs ache all the more from the repetitive abuse.

Finally, _finally_ his cough subsided.

Levi stared into the ground for a long moment as he gradually regained his senses, oxygen circulating back through his lungs and body with a renewed vigor, his vision finally clearing. He only now noticed the tiled floor beneath him. More than the blood that had been smeared onto the surface, he realized_ where_ Petra had brought him and finally, he raised his head to look at her directly.

She was sitting on her rear as she looked up toward the ceiling, arms shaking below her as she breathed heavily from the sudden exhaustive effort and sheer adrenaline. Sensing his gaze, she looked back toward him wordlessly, and he frowned as he realized she had blood on her hands – _his_ blood, he realized.

"Cap…" she took another deep breath as her voice failed and tried again, "Captain are you okay? You really scared me. It's all that steam. You really-" she panted harshly, her eyes suddenly beginning to tear up as she looked away from him and shook her head. Even if he couldn't see her face, she couldn't hide the emotional tremble in her voice, "Levi…you stopped _breathing_ in there; I didn't know what to do! I'm a _Scout_ not a doctor and you- Ugh, dammit!"

Her voice cracked and she refused to look at him further, the weight of her unsaid words leaving him at odds. He didn't know what to say, and even if he did, he wasn't sure he had the ability to say it. He was still panting, taking a moment to lick the blood off his lips and trying to recover from his previous coughing spell that had nearly rendered him unconscious.

Petra quietly brought both hands to her face and smoothed her hair in the same motion, seemingly in attempts to collect herself before finally standing up from the floor. For a long moment she stood there wordlessly, shaking her head as though about to speak, but losing her nerve and sighing in defeat as though at a loss. Eventually, she cleared her throat and gave a slight sniffle as she looked out toward the hallway. Her voice was quiet, _exhausted_.

"I'm going to go grab your tea. Just…just don't do anything stupid."

Petra left the room quickly, an unease churning in the pit of her stomach that wasn't fully quelled by the Captain's stabilized condition. In truth, she could care less about his tea, she needed a _distraction_ – something to take her thoughts away from the stumbling, frail Levi with blood on his lips and no color to his face. Watching him fight to just stay conscious, feeling so helpless and uncertain - _that_ had scared her more than the Titans ever would, and she found that she needed a moment to collect herself before she faced her Captain again.

She moved into the bathroom and grabbed his teacup, watching the tea sway from side to side in the cup, a result of the tremble in her hands that caused the liquid to ripple within the confines of the small cup. She bit her lip and set the cup back down on the surface of the counter, hanging her head and giving a shaky exhale as she tried desperately to put it all behind her.

Try as she may, her hands didn't steady themselves and even when Petra finally felt put together enough to rejoin her Captain in the common room, she had to keep both hands on the cup to ensure that she didn't spill.

…

* * *

…

By the time Petra had returned back to the common room, Levi had moved up from off the floor and was sitting at the table. His hands were resting out in front of himself and he continued to breathe shallowly from the aftermath of his coughing fit that had ended only a few minutes ago.

Petra walked toward him and set the tea beside him on the table, her voice clipped and quiet, "I'm going to get a wet rag for your hands, just a sec." She moved into the small kitchen that housed a few rations and coffee supplies for the squad, taking a moment to wash her own hands off in the sink before grabbing a washcloth and wetting it down for the Captain.

"Here." She said softly as she came back into the room, setting the damp rag down on the table beside him. With that, she left the room again without any indication of where she was going or when she would be back.

Levi watched her leave, mentally making note of her uncharacteristic behavior. It wasn't that her voice showed signs of irritation or anger, but it wasn't like Petra to mince her words and communicate only the bare minimum of what was needed. For as long as he had known her, she had always been extremely social. For all his _lack_ of conversation, Petra could carry on for hours on end, with only a few 'yeahs' and head nods needed to keep her going.

He normally would have spent more time pondering the issue, debating with himself if he would need to talk with her later, or if it was something she just needed to sort through on her own – but he was so exhausted that his thoughts remained unsorted with no clear-cut avenues for resolution. He had been awake now for a few hours and his fever and body aches made it feel as though his mind were perpetually in a haze. He _was_ still himself, but everything felt forced and in slow motion. His thoughts were muddy, his body sluggish, and his lungs and throat were painfully raw, throbbing and itching and burning all at once.

He grabbed the damp rag and set to wiping his hands clean from the sticky blood that was halfway dry and coated the entirety of his palms. Once his hands and nails were finally clean again, he took a moment to wipe his mouth and face, then continued down the exposed skin of his forearms from where blood had been smeared against his skin from Petra's surprisingly brutal force.

While she _wasn't_ a doctor, Levi noted that she had responded quickly; whether right or wrong, Petra made a decision and stuck with it till the end. Without even realizing it, she was making use of all her years of training; thinking on her feet with wisdom and precision when it counted the most. If it weren't for the fact he got the distinct impression she wanted to forget about it as quickly as possible (that, and she wasn't even _in_ the room anymore) he may have actually complimented her on how she handled the situation.

He set the rag down beside him after the task was completed and grabbed the cup of tea Petra had made.

If he were being honest with himself, he was... feeling a bit guilty.

It was only after being exposed to the cold air that he realized the trouble caused for both himself and Petra was almost entirely his fault. While it couldn't be helped that he was sick, he only now realized the dangerous spot he had placed himself in earlier. In retrospect, Petra's claims that he had dismissed, that he was only going to make himself more sick with his careless actions, turned out to be more than justified. What was more, Petra's terrified response as she looked away from him in attempts to keep it together had sparked something within himself – he didn't _know_ what – but his stomach twisted in knots that were unrelated to his nausea and he felt the need to address it somehow because he was feeling somewhat at odds.

She had legitimately been afraid.

For him.

_Because_ of him.

He looked down at the tea – the tea he didn't deserve, as Petra had stated – and sighed. Perhaps he should have just listened to her to start with.

"Drink it while it's still hot." came Petra's monotone voice, and Levi looked up toward her as she made her way back into the room. "We don't have any cough drops here so we'll have to make do with whatever we can find lying around to keep that cough in check. I'll see if I can get any from the medics tomorrow; if we're lucky they may even have some cough syrup for you. We can't afford you going through another coughing spell like that again; your lungs can't take the abuse."

Levi gave a slow nod of agreement and cautiously lifted the small cup to his lips, sampling the tea that Petra had made.

He winced as he swallowed the hot liquid, understanding in that moment exactly where all the blood had come from before. He had been concerned that his coughing up blood was signs of a more sinister disease, however as he swallowed the tea, he could very distinctly feel various raw, torn and ruptured patches within his throat that the hot liquid seemed to soothe and burn all at the same time.

He supposed that made sense. While the fact his _throat_ was torn to shreds wasn't exactly a good thing, it was a much better option than his previous suspicion that his lungs were slowly filling with blood.

He took another sip of the tea, allowing it to cool on his tongue a little before swallowing the delicate liquid again. It did feel good on his throat, but the level of heat was a little too intense for the raw and bleeding patches of flesh and Levi wanted to avoid bringing on another coughing fit if it could at all be avoided.

"How is it?" Petra asked from the other end of the table, though her voice lacked any real curiosity.

"Fine." Levi responded, his voice a hoarse whisper.

He smelled the tea for a moment, having known from his very first sip that this was not green tea. He wasn't exactly sure why Petra had elected to prepare his silver needle jasmine tea for him – _an obvious white tea_ – but he knew it didn't really matter one way or another. It was still hot, tasted good, and helped him unwind a bit from all the sudden tension.

If he were being _critical_, it was a little on the weak side, but only if he were proactively looking to critique it. More than anything, he appreciated having a hot cup of tea at all. He was completely miserable, drained of any and all energy, his mind was exhausted as he tried to focus and sort through the nature of Petra's odd behavior - even this small comfort after such an exhausting line up was helpful in both mind and body.

"It's time for your next dose of medicine so you'll need to drink some milk as well. After that, I presume you'll be ready to go back to sleep?"

Levi gave a nod, not caring to put up a stubborn pretense or pretend that he was fine. Petra had seen him all but crawling on the floor, hacking and wheezing in a mess of his own blood – there was no point in putting up a brave face in front of her anymore.

He looked toward her, frowning slightly at his new observation. "Your sleeves…" he rasped out, and Petra looked down at herself in question, only then noticing that it wasn't just her hands that had been smeared in blood previously.

She gave a tired nod and waved a hand nonchalantly, "I'll get it taken care of in a bit. No point in rushing now, it's already dried on." She stood up and moved back over toward the kitchen, grabbing out the milk and pouring the Captain a glass. She walked back toward him, setting down the glass as well as two brown pills that comprised his next dose of medicine. She nodded towards the teacup, "You finished?"

He tilted the cup up high and finished off the last of his tea, nodding as she took the empty glass from him and wordlessly returned to the kitchen to begin washing it.

He cleared his throat, the action igniting a burning pain deep within his chest that caused his eyes to water as a result. Even still, he wanted to ensure he would be heard over the sound of the running water, "Petra…"

"Hm?"

He watched her in silence as she continued cleaning up the area, coming back to the table after a moment and grabbing the bloodied rag next, rinsing it out leisurely with no real hurry to her actions. Levi exhaled and grabbed his medicine, his head tilted downward in a humbled manner. He wasn't sure what he had wanted to say, and as the silence prolonged between them whatever words he wanted to say seemed to die on his tongue.

Petra turned off the water and started to dry the cup. She gave an empty chuckle that lacked actual amusement, "Hey in sickness and in health right?" she looked toward him and gave a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, "Take your medicine Captain. You need rest."

'_So do you'_ he thought internally, but chose to remain silent, instead listening to the slight tinking of the glasses as she placed the cup back in its place. Again he noted that she was unusually quiet as there was nothing further she added to the growing silence. She always had something more to say, so her silence unnerved him. He found that he wanted to know her thoughts, wanted to know if she was angry with him perhaps – but without her lead, Levi wasn't quite sure where he stood and didn't know how to express his musings.

He placed the medicine on his tongue, finding the sugar coating to be far too sweet with its attempt to be viewed as enjoyable, before the bitterness of the medicine finally came through after resting on his tongue for too long. The bitterness continued to build in his mouth until it was almost too much to stomach; the overwhelming flavor overpowering his sense of taste. Only then did he finally wash it down, until both the sweetness and bitterness of the medicine was nothing more than a blurry memory.

…

* * *

…

Petra gave a tentative knock on the door, standing out in the hallway nervously while she waited for a response.

"Hello? Oh, just a second." Came a familiar voice from within the room, and after a moment Hanji opened the door and looked out curiously, a smile coming to her face after seeing a familiar shade of orange hair.

"Well if it isn't Petra Ral – oops, I mean, Ackerman! I was just about to clean up and get ready for dinner. Is there something I can do for you? I heard Erwin saying something about Levi, that he's sick or something? Everything okay?"

Petra gave a polite smile, clutching the folder she was holding onto and nodding toward the inside of Hanji's office, "About that, I was hoping to talk to you if you have any time? Sorry, I know it's right before dinner."

Hanji gave a slight surprised sort of 'Oh' expression, then gave an uncertain nod. While it was true she often rubbed shoulders with Levi's squad, fact of the matter was their base responsibilities were vastly different and Hanji couldn't think of a single time that Levi's subordinates actually needed to come to her for anything. "Um, sure. Of course I mean, come on in." Hanji turned back toward her office space and busied herself cleaning off a chair that was stacked with papers and boxes of who knows what, "Sorry for the mess, I tend to work with fifty different things at once and my project notes tend to get everywhere."

Petra looked around the office with wide eyes as she sat down in the given chair, admittedly a little surprised at the stark difference between Hanji's office and the Captain's. It wasn't that her office was dirty per say, but Hanji wasn't kidding about things being everywhere. There were boxes stacked across the ground and various papers that seemed to be haphazardly placed on every surface imaginable. Levi would never allow his office to even come close to such a state, and yet Hanji worked and thrived in such an environment.

The titan's expert took a seat at her desk, stacking the various papers across the desk's surface and setting them aside. She looked at Petra with a smile, "Now. What's on your mind my dear?"

Petra exhaled apprehensively, presenting the manila folder she had taken from Levi's room and merely placed it in front of Hanji who observed it coolly with a raised eyebrow. Petra bit her bottom lip and nodded toward the folder, "Just…look at this. This is why I'm here."

She gave a guilty look as Hanji looked at the folder curiously, her eyes widening as she flipped through it, realizing quickly the source of Petra's nervous behavior. This was clearly not Petra's business, nor _hers_ for that matter, though Hanji couldn't deny her outright surprise after seeing just how far behind Levi really was. Being someone with papers and deadlines of her own, she knew full well, even more so than Petra did, that this was _bad_.

She closed the folder with a sigh, wanting to pick her words carefully. While Hanji enjoyed getting a rise out of the tight-laced Captain, she would consider him a friend and knew he would not want either herself or Petra digging through his responsibilities like this without his knowledge.

"Captain Levi has… a lot of responsibilities on his plate right now. He is behind to be sure, however-"

"It's my fault he's behind though!" Petra insisted with wide eyes, looking down at the folder of all the uncompleted tasks Levi hadn't been able to get around to and feeling responsible, "I saw the folder with all the paperwork from the wedding. I know that's why he's not getting any of his work done…so I thought that maybe..."

Petra seemed to pause in thought and Hanji pressed her lips together. She hadn't been sure if Petra knew about that or not, and while she didn't know if Levi had told her directly or if she had found out through some other means, she supposed there was no use avoiding the subject now.

Hanji took off her glasses and nodded seriously as she rubbed her eyes, "Petra. It's true, those papers have kept him extremely busy as of late, but it's not your 'fault'. Not to be heartless, but Levi knew what he was getting himself into beforehand. He knew there would be a lot of aftermath and that the issue of allowing you to stay in the military wouldn't be as simple as just a ten-minute ceremony with Erwin. It has kept him busy and really put him in a bind for time, but that was the choice _he_ made from the start. Everything has consequences and if he wasn't prepared for them, he wouldn't have said anything to you and you'd be long back at your father's house."

Hanji gave a sympathetic smile as the silence drew out and she tapped the folder gently for emphasis, "I know you are concerned and I can't imagine seeing something like this is pleasant when it's your own Captain that's involved, but there's not much that you or I can do here. I know there are the few forms that I'm needing from him, so I guess I can extend the deadline considering he's sick, but-"

"I want to help him." Petra cut her off with resolve, "I want you to teach me how to fill them out."

Hanji blinked, eyes wide at hearing Petra's request that sounded more like a _demand_ than an actual request or favor. She had assumed Petra was more concerned about deadlines and asking people to give the Captain more time, but considering all she knew of Petra, she should have known from the start that she was just as extreme as her Captain and her sights were set on something much bigger than a simple extended grace period.

She tried to make her voice light, knowing her heart was in the right place and wanting to let her down gently because there was no way she could give her what she was asking.

"Petra, this is work for a Commanding Officer. Erwin would have a fit if he learned that you-"

"Then don't tell him." Petra said flatly, a challenging fire in her eyes that reminded the Scientist so much of Levi, "You know full well that Levi will never ask for help, and as the person who has been keeping watch over him throughout the day, I can tell you that he is in _no_ position to return to work for at least a few days as a bare minimum. He was already falling behind without being sick, and you expect he will magically return to duty and somehow find an extra twelve hours each day to catch up?"

Hanji frowned at Petra's statement; her point made. The ginger shook her head and stared into the desk pensively, "I couldn't get myself out of the bind I was in with my father and everything, and Levi came through for me. So now…I'm going to do the same. I know it's not as drastic – I _can't_ do for the Captain what he did for me, but something like this, surely I can do at least _this_ for him." Petra frowned and looked up at her superior directly, "It's just, I've looked everything over and I don't know how to fill out a vast majority of the forms he's got collected here. I figured you would though, so here I am. I just need a little help getting started."

Hanji stared at her for a long moment, debating with herself if she should indulge Petra's request or not. It felt wrong in so many ways. Petra was not an Officer, she clearly didn't have Levi's knowledge or permission to do such a thing, Erwin would never agree to a non-titled Scout doing someone else's job – and yet past all that, the rules had already been blurred and broken to such an extent that when it came to Petra and the relationship she had with her Captain, it seemed almost silly to hold them to a black and white standard. And again to Petra's point, how else was he going to catch up if he was falling so drastically behind while in _good_ health?

Something had to give.

Hanji laced her hands in front of her face and gave a slight nod, "Alright listen." she began in defeat, giving a long sigh and watching Petra seriously, "I will help you, but this does _not_ get back to Erwin or your squad. If you complete a form, give it to me so I can check it over and then _I'll _get it to the right hands after that. If you make any mistakes though, even one, you're done. You won't be helping him if things come back two weeks from now due to sloppiness and novice errors."

Petra nodded, a smile bubbling on her face though she tried to remain serious, understanding full well that Hanji was sticking her neck out for her and wasn't exactly happy about it. The Scientist continued sternly, "And keep in mind we all have jobs to see to so I don't exactly have hours of free time to devote to teaching you the correct formats and data you need to find. As for tonight I'm pretty busy, but I can give you maybe... an hour or so? If you're willing to sacrifice your mealtimes, we can work while we eat, but anything more than that and you'll be on your own. It's sink or swim and if you can't figure it out that's your problem."

Petra nodded quickly in understanding and acceptance, standing up with Hanji who gave another long sigh and picked the folder back up in her hands. She adjusted her glasses across her face, "Let's not waste any time then. How about you go and stand in the dinner line for the both of us, grab our food, and by the time you get through the line, I'll be in Levi's office with some data organized and ready for you. Sound fair?"

Petra soon walked out of Hanji's office, a wide smile across her face. She imagined this must be what Erwin felt like when he landed a big sort of business deal with the government. It wasn't long before she had gotten through the line and returned back to Levi's office, where Hanji had set a variety of Levi's folders and papers across the surface of his desk in preparation.

"Now for these tables, you look at the training data Levi has recorded here in this folder, for the past three months. You'll need to calculate the average, then compare them to the previously filled out table and make note of the differences. Once you have those numbers recorded, you can move down to the next section and add the new data to the graph. From there-"

Petra tried to keep up with Hanji's explanation, taking separate notes of everything that was being said for later reference, all while filling out the current document piece by piece and praying she did her calculations correctly. They had been at it for a few hours now; Hanji explaining the current document, what it needed in each section, and how to calculate the data correctly and use it later in a matter that kept building onto itself and increasing with difficulty.

It wasn't that the details required were per say _hard_, it was just very detailed and meticulous, not to mention time consuming. Hanji had been diligently watching over Petra's shoulder as she worked, pointing out various boxes and notes to review, as well as where Levi was likely storing the data she needed to sort through for the corresponding data. All in all, Petra had to commend Hanji in that she was an excellent teacher. She was thorough and encouraging, but didn't patronize her efforts and had no problem correcting her if her methods weren't lining up to produce accurate results.

Petra was amazed at how long _one_ simple paper was taking. While there was the fact she was still learning (so wasn't nearly as efficient as Hanji or the Captain would be) Petra was just now finishing the first paper out of Levi's large stack of unfinished documents.

With a nervous sigh, Petra set her pen down and looked over the page, "Okay, I think this one is done. It only took me forever."

Hanji laughed from behind her, grabbing the paper and reviewing it, "No worries my dear, you'll get better at it as time goes by. This looks pretty good though; I'll take it with me and turn it in first thing in the morning. Did you write down all the numbers on a separate page? You'll find a lot of these forms tend to get repetitive so make sure to keep good records that you can go back to later for reference. That will save you a lot of time."

"Got it all right here." Petra confirmed with a small exhale, holding up the notepad she had found previously, various numbers and dates scratched across the first page, "I will say, getting a more inside look at what you and the Captain are required to do…it's kind of interesting. Granted I won't lie, I'm not exactly envious because this really eats time up, but I never would have thought Levi actually kept up and knew all these various numbers and statistics."

Hanji smiled warmly at Petra's observation, "Well thank you. I don't know how much Levi actually _keeps up_ with the numbers, but I sure do; Erwin as well. They may just be numbers, but they represent people, and that makes them important. The more we understand about our Scouts, what we do well, what we don't do well, the better off we'll be in the future. We can only hope that we can use data like this to results that contribute to humanity's victory."

Hanji stood up straight and cleared her throat, "Well my dear, I'd love to stay but my time is up and I've got to get back to my desk or I'll start falling behind as well."

Petra stood up from the desk and walked with her toward the door, giving a slight bow of gratitude as Hanji moved out of Levi's office. "Thank you so much Hanji. I really appreciate you doing this for me. I think I'll be busy in the morning with the Squad and everything, but can we plan to do lunch and dinner like this tomorrow?"

"Sure thing! We can go over some other new forms and documents that you'll need to know how to fill out, so just stick to the type I showed you just now and we'll tackle some new stuff tomorrow."

"Perfect, thanks Hanji!"

Petra gave a wave and closed the office door, moving back behind Levi's desk and digging back through the large 'To Do' folder until she found another similar type of form that Hanji had taught her how to fill out. With a sigh of resignation, Petra grabbed her note pad of previous numbers as well as helpful hints about what data went where, and began scribbling down numbers across the first line.

She had a sneaking suspicion that it was going to be a long night.

...

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End of Chapter

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...

And that wraps it up for this week!

Intense, right?

I will admit, this arc was one that was…oh, what's the word? Granted, back when I was actively writing this section out, it was what, February? It's been a hot minute since I've been in this arc's head space, but I can remember that keeping Levi balanced here was sincerely a good challenge for me. I do feel there is an obvious ferocity to Levi's character, but there is that strange level of softness to him, and writing out a Levi that is out of his element, sick and miserable, but still caring for others in the odd way that he does – it makes my writer's brain go into overdrive and getting to reread all of this and cast my final updates on it four months later is pretty surreal.

I do hope you guys are enjoying reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it and editing it. As always, your support is so special to me and I look forward to getting to reveal the next chapter come every update. So, I will bid you adieu and see you next week! Yall stay safe and have a good one!

Midnight


	12. The One Where Petra is even Quieter

Morning everyone!

Whoo, it's early on my end of the screen, but busy day as usual so I thought it best to get started now. I sit here with a bagel, my morning cup of coffee, and enjoy the somewhat peaceful morning that I've woken up to. Can't complain because it's the simple things right?

Hope yall have an awesome day, a brilliant and productive week, and enjoy the new chapter!

...

* * *

...

The next few days passed by in a blur, some moments dragging on and on, and others flying by. While it had been Petra's original intention to return to active duty and train with her squad as quickly as possible, Levi's condition as well as his literal _stack_ of overdue documents kept her locked away within the depths of the compound, flitting from her bedroom, to the Captain's side, to his office, back to the Captain, then off to lunch or dinner with Hanji to learn the next type of paper she'd be up against. The process would repeat itself endlessly throughout the day until everyone was finally settled in bed. Only when she was certain that the entire squad was asleep would Petra sneak out into the hall and return back to the Captain's office for some late-night, secret number crunching.

True to her word, she had been extremely cautious and made sure that her squad had no idea just how many hours she spent hidden, no one having a clue save for Hanji that she was actually doing Levi's paperwork. She would work and calculate the various statistics, answering the redundant questions late into the night and knowing full well that she'd eventually fall asleep at his desk. Upon waking some hours later with papers stuck to the skin of her arms and forehead, she would drag her exhausted body back to her room for a mere hour or two of sleep, just to do it all over again the following day.

It was grueling and miserable, but she was making progress.

As for Levi, his condition was improving, but slowly. The first day had been bad, but the second had been even worse and nearly broke both of their sanities in attempts to just get through the day's demands. Levi's fever remained stubborn and unbreakable, his appetite had been spotty, and though Levi wasn't trying to be difficult, he wasn't in a pleasant mood and so try as he may to not take his anger out on the woman who was caring for him, on more than one occasion he had gone off on her because everything was irritating and he was miserable and even when he slept all day he didn't feel rested. He was tired of being in bed, tired of her hovering, sick of being sick, and he just wanted to be left the hell alone.

It seemed Petra's patience was _also_ at its limits because Levi had found himself more than once on the receiving end of a well-deserved glare or furious tirade from her after some of his off-color remarks. He'd be irritated by her chiding, but accepted her waspish retorts because they were admittedly deserved. Regardless the tension between them, she was just as diligent in ensuring that he never missed his next dosage and that all his needs were cared for, often times before he felt the need to even ask, and when he wasn't simmering in frustration or anger, he felt impossibly guilty and on edge because she was working herself to the bone for him and he couldn't even muster up a simple thank you.

His cough was persistent and painful; his throat so raw that he continued to cough blood frequently and to such an extent that Petra made sure he always had a damp rag on hand. He would cough into the fabric, and then use whatever section was left unscathed to clean himself up afterward. Though he had never once complained to Petra, it seemed she knew him well as each time he would fall asleep, by the time he woke up the old bloodied rag had been taken away and replaced with a fresh and clean one. He made note to thank her for that, among all the other tasks she did for him each day, however by the end of the second day his voice was long, long gone to where he could only respond with shrugs or head nods, and more notably than that…

By the third day, Petra had been noticeably spotty in terms of her once so frequent appearances.

While Levi's memory was a bit hazy considering he was asleep for a vast majority of the day - his sense of time was admittedly somewhat warped now that multiple days had passed by - he distinctly remembered that all his interactions with Petra were short and to the point, if they happened _at all_. She would bring his medicine or take his temperature, but she wouldn't linger for conversation, (which was just as well considering he couldn't talk) but her odd behavior continued to bother him more and more as the days passed by.

He knew she was still keeping a watchful eye over him as there were constant signs that she was still around and still very aware of his condition; he just kept missing her. He would wake up and find that she had dropped off a plate of food who knows when, or had refilled his water bottle, sometimes a fresh change of clothes would be set out for him, but more often than not…Petra _herself_ was nowhere to be seen. Granted, it wasn't exactly like he wanted her there beside him at all hours of the day, hovering and fussing about every little thing imaginable, but this quiet, arms distance sort of treatment where she operated from the shadows seemed to be the _opposite_ extreme and brought a sort of anxiousness out of himself that he wasn't sure what to make of. As it already stood, he wasn't much feeling like himself and didn't need the added headache that was this new side of Petra he was being introduced to.

It didn't escape his notice that in the rare event he_ did_ actually see her, she was notably exhausted. Her posture was slack, her steps were weary, and he couldn't help but suspect that all her good intentions were only serving `to get her sick in the end. He was becoming suspicious that her avoiding him was not so much mischance as it was intentional – she _knew_ he didn't approve of her self-sacrifice and as a result, was only attending to him when he was asleep to avoid confrontation. He had made a note to tell her that enough was enough, he didn't need her in the first place and she was only making herself suffer, but each time she made her rounds throughout the week, he was always asleep and missed the chance to confront her about it.

It was finally on the fourth day, Levi was feeling still under the weather but perhaps just a bit on the mend, that he was actually awake at the same moment that Petra came into his room. He had been sitting up against the head of the bed, _intentionally_ fighting off the nagging urge to sleep in hopes that he could stay awake long enough to catch her. Avoiding him or not, she would have to come around sooner or later with his medicine, or food, or _something_. While he would never admit it to her directly, he was…_worried_ about this quiet and dismissive Petra that had only grown more and more distant with each passing day, and if she was getting sick because of him but was too kind to put her own needs first, damn straight he'd have something to say about it.

So he waited.

It was quiet and there was absolutely nothing to keep him occupied, but he waited all the same. Just when he found himself nodding off and falling asleep against his will, the sound of footsteps nearing his room caught his attention and perked him back up. After a few moments, Petra had peered inside the room, her eyes widening in slight surprise to see the Captain up and awake for once. Petra looked exhausted, dark circles under her eyes suggesting an extreme lack of sleep, but a smile brightened her face – a real smile – Levi noted internally, and he was surprised when a sort of relief came over him.

"Captain, you're awake." Petra stated the obvious, stepping further into his room and handing him his water bottle a moment later, "Looks like some of your color's coming back too - how are you feeling?"

He nodded as he took the water from her, drinking over half of it in one go before setting it down on his bedroom floor. He gave a noncommittal shrug, hoping she would take his body language to be a more or less sort of response. He wasn't ready to get back to his day to day life, but he felt worlds better than he had previously.

Petra nodded and busied herself as she moved around the room, picking up bits of discarded tissues and collecting the dishes that were left over from breakfast. As she moved around the room, Levi grabbed the pad of paper resting on the edge of his dresser, grabbing a pen next and beginning to write.

His actions grabbed Petra's attention and she threw the trash away before wiping her hands on a clean rag, moving toward him curiously as he wrote across the page. The past few days had been rather quiet between them since he had lost his voice a few days ago, and she was actually surprised he hadn't used this approach before. Perhaps he just hadn't had anything important to say until now.

Levi looked up from the paper after finishing and handed the pad of paper toward her silently. She slowly grabbed the object from him in question, a cautiousness to her actions, giving him a concerned and questioning glance before looking down to the paper.

"_You're pale."_

Petra inhaled in surprise and handed the paper back to him in an instant, an embarrassed hue coming to her face after reading the simple words he had written. She hadn't known he had been observing her so closely - she truly_ must _have looked awful if Levi was saying something about it. She hadn't slept right since the whole being sick fiasco started and it was taking its toll. For the past four days she had been so focused on taking care of him and seeing to his previously missed deadlines that her own self-care had taken a notable back seat. She was only getting a few hours of sleep each night, was eating her meals on the go so that she didn't miss any time with Hanji, she never had time to sit down and relax…hell, she hadn't even taken a shower in three days!

She knew better than to tell _any_ of this to the Captain, as he would undoubtedly march himself right out of bed and work himself to an early grave before intentionally accepting any help from her with regards toward his paperwork – and she decided to try and laugh it off instead in attempts to make light of it, "Am I? Can't be helped I guess. These past few days have kept me pretty busy and it's been hard to find time for myself right now. Hate to say it Captain, but if I look_ this_ bad, you can only imagine how haggard and out of sorts_ you_ look right now."

She felt the Captain's long stare – it wasn't like her to comment on appearance or outright insult him like that, and she couldn't tell if he was buying her casual explanation or if it had only served to make him more suspicious. He began writing on the word pad again, his expression narrowed as though he were picking his words carefully as he wrote them down one by one.

Petra's stomach twisted in knots as the sound of the pen scratching against the paper filled the room, and it seemed like an eternity before he finally finished writing and handed the pad of paper toward her expectantly. She prayed it wasn't something like _'What are you hiding from me?'_ or _'What's exactly kept you so busy then?'_. Had she known of Levi's suspicions she would have thought of an appropriate cover story beforehand because she had always been a terrible liar when put on the spot. If he asked her flat out she knew her explanation would be lousy at best - it wouldn't take long for him to unravel whatever fake story she told him.

She just couldn't risk him finding out about his paperwork – there's no way he would rest properly if he knew what she was trying to take on in his stead.

She looked at the page, all but holding her breath as she read his words.

"_Are you getting sick?"_

She gave an internal sigh of relief after reading his new question, again handing him his paper and responding in turn with a small laugh, "Getting sick? I doubt it. I've actually been really intentional about washing my hands and such, making sure that whatever germs you have don't leave this room for the most part. It's not just me that could get sick after all; this flu could spread to the whole squad if we aren't careful. I've made sure that all your dishes have been sanitized, kept your laundry separate from the guys, all that, and so far, not a cough or sniffle from anyone. It's touching that you're worried for everyone Captain, but really, we're fine. As for me specifically, I _am_ tired, but definitely not sick."

There was a long pause that followed her words, and it seemed as though Levi was internally debating if he wanted to press the issue further or not.

She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, the silence continuing to extend until it was borderline awkward. She didn't want to rush him, but she didn't exactly have the time to just sit and lounge with him while he silently debated whatever it was he wanted to 'say' or not. Furthermore, she didn't want to encourage any suspicious thoughts he may have been harboring by lingering too long. She waited for a few more moments and Levi continued staring into the pad of paper pensively.

She cleared her throat and pointed toward the dishes she had stacked, "Well Captain I'm glad to see you're looking a bit better, but don't push yourself or your progress may slow. You don't want to stay bedridden forever, right? I'll be back in about an hour to bring your next dose of medicine so try to get some sleep between now and then if you can manage."

As she shifted to move away, the fact she was leaving seemed to finally spark something within him, and again he was writing on the paper. She paused in step and was once again waiting for him to finish whatever it was he found important enough to write down after all. She tried not to groan.

His pen tapped softly against the paper and he handed it toward Petra, his expression troubled and serious – an almost urgent degree to his actions. She grabbed the paper from him, her green eyes scanning across the page and her brows furrowing in confusion at the words he had written across the page.

"_Are you avoiding me?"_

She reread the handwritten question a few times, only confused all the more as she thought it over.

_Avoiding me?_ What the…

Where was _this_ coming from?

She was in and out of his room almost twenty some times a day! Granted he was asleep practically every time she made her rounds, but she was there all the same. There was no way he hadn't noticed – what, like his water bottle mysteriously refilled itself and food magically appeared at every mealtime? His dirty dishes just walked away? How in the world had he gotten the impression that she was going out of her way to avoid him? More than that, _why_ would she? What purpose would that serve? What would that even accomplish?

She had taken time off for the one singular purpose of watching over him and helping him take care of himself in his weakened state – surely he knew her well enough that even in the event she _was_ mad or they got in a fight or whatever, she was still a professional. She wouldn't slack on the job and let him fend for himself while she relaxed aimlessly in her room for days on end just to _prove a point._

…His question just didn't make any sense!

She leaned forward slightly toward him to inspect him directly, wondering if perhaps his fever had finally gotten the best of him and was making him delirious. Levi shot her a perturbed look at her sudden closeness, and he almost flinched when she reached forward and pressed her palm against his forehead suspiciously.

Petra made a face at her findings and shook her head quietly. He didn't_ feel _any hotter than he did a few hours ago, and for the most part he wasn't acting all that differently and his eyes were bright and clear. His breathing wasn't as raspy and for the first time in days he actually appeared somewhat well rested for once. While he still looked sick, this was the best she had seen him since he had fallen ill in the first place.

Petra's frown deepened as Levi continued to watch her with wide eyes, and Petra slowly leaned away from him in admitted confusion; certain now that the odd question was not a mere result of his being sick; it was Levi's _actual _question. For whatever reason, the Captain seemed to legitimately think she was avoiding him, and she was suddenly tempted to sit down at the questions this raised in her mind.

What should she say? It wasn't that she felt the Captain was cold or so distant, but it was hard to wrap her mind around the idea that even if she_ was_ avoiding him, that he would for one, notice at all, but for two, it would actually bother him enough to say something about it like this.

The silence extended again as Petra tried to put words to her thoughts. She needed to respond because the silence was extending well past what a normal response would take and that could certainly give the wrong impression, but she was just so surprised that she was rather tongue tied as a result.

She shook her head and looked toward him directly, an apologetic and concerned look across her face as she tried to find her words, "Levi…I don't think I understand. I am here constantly but I don't want to linger because…" she handed the paper back to him and furrowed her eyebrows as she tried to name a proper response, "And even if I had been for whatever reason, I'm surprised that you…"

She sighed as words failed her, finding she was only able to ask a question of her own as a way of response. She looked at him directly and bit her lip, "Captain, is…is everything okay?"

Levi had been watching her curiously for a response, and he blinked at the realization that the focus of the conversation had somehow been redirected back on himself.

While it could have been a result of the fever or something, Petra could swear the base of his neck began to turn red as the silence extended between them. Levi looked not toward her but rather across the room, avoiding her gaze, and the silence continued all the more. He didn't move to grab the pen, didn't shrug or shake his head and gave nothing away that could have been considered a response of any kind. She waited for a few moments but was growing suspicious that Levi would not be responding to her question anytime soon.

She _was_ curious as to what thoughts had led him to that conclusion, but she supposed the best she could do was just reassure him that things were fine and not press him about it. He was sick after all.

She stood up straight and grabbed the dishes, trying to not let her thoughts linger, "I'm sorry Captain, if I've somehow given you that impression. But no. I'm not avoiding you." She stood by the door and turned toward him, a concerned expression still across her face, "Just…try to get some rest, okay? I'll be back soon if you need anything."

Petra disappeared from the room a few moments later and Levi sighed heavily, not really satisfied but not sure what he could have done differently that would have successfully quelled his nagging thoughts. He grabbed the pad of paper again and stared at his previously written words in unresolved question. The room remained perfectly silent, his own handwriting staring back up at him and only continuing to make him feel out of sorts.

Damn.

That hadn't gone as he would have liked. Petra had answered his questions, and yet…it didn't explain anything. It didn't explain why she was hardly talking to him, didn't explain what she was thinking or if he was so troublesome that she was being overworked and despised him for it – he had intended on questioning her until she finally said something – _anything_ – Petra _always _had something to say until now it seemed, but her answers hadn't shed light on why she was so distant, or why she only spoke of business and never lingered for conversation.

It upset him to a considerable extent, if he were looking at it critically. Petra was clearly going out of her way to care for him, doing more than what could simply be considered a simple favor and asking nothing of him in return. Even when he treated her coldly and took his frustrations from his sickness out on her, she was still there with a smile on her face and a quick comeback at the ready – but with how she was acting now as each day passed, so disengaged and all but skipping out of his room at the first available opportunity…

It was like he had_ broken_ something.

She was hardly around, and when she was, it was painfully clear that she had somewhere else she'd rather be. He wasn't sure if it was the aftermath of the bath situation, or if it was something cold he had said in the days that followed, or if he had been slowly grating on her patience and she finally snapped but…

He grabbed the pen in his hand and found himself continuing to write, writing down the words that plagued him, even though they would never be seen now that Petra had left.

'_I'm sorry.'_

For what exactly, he still couldn't be sure, but he was all the same.

He stared into the words for a long moment and gave another sigh, his thoughts remaining just as conflicted as they were before his 'talk' with Petra. He set the pad of paper back down onto his dresser in defeat and shifted down in his bed until he was laying across the mattress. He rolled onto his side and allowed the promise of sleep to clear his mind, knowing there was nothing he could do because Petra was already gone.

…

* * *

...

It was late into the night that Petra had wearily tiptoed back through the compound halls after making one last secret stop in Hanji's office, giving an excited wave toward the Scientist as she walked out of her office.

She had done it.

All the papers, every single one in the Captain's large to do folder had been filled out, _officially_ approved by Hanji, and would all be delivered to their respective places in the morning.

It had taken a full four days of intentional, nonstop grueling work. Gods she was exhausted, but the overwhelming sense of accomplishment put a considerable spring in her step as she carefully made her way back toward where her squad resided within the building.

As she twisted through the various halls, she paused in step as the hall branched off. She could easily turn toward her room and go to sleep – she had certainly earned it – but felt the sudden urge to turn the opposite way to check on the Captain just one more time before she officially retired for the night. She was already up after all; it certainly couldn't hurt. She would see if he needed more water, grab the dirty dishes from dinner and sneak out without disturbing his sleep or even alerting him to her presence.

Mind easily made up, she moved toward his room and peered inside – because it was dark it was hard to see much of anything at first, but after a few moments, the existing moonlight illuminated his room just enough to where she could finally start to make out Levi's form as her eyes slowly began to adjust to the darkness.

He was laying serenely on top of his blankets, arms stretched out above his head and – Petra squinted in the darkness as something out of place caught her attention, not sure if she was seeing right because it was just so dark but…

Her mouth fell open, realizing in horror that for however long she had been standing there, probably a few _minutes_ at this point, Levi was actually awake and was staring_ back _at her in perfect silence.

Petra coughed nervously, her heart skipping a beat as both surprise and embarrassment washed over her in an instant. She hadn't known he was awake! How long had she just been standing there, _staring_ at him like that? She took a hurried, humiliated step inside the room, her voice a strained whisper, "Captain I…"

She was mortified,_ beyond_ mortified as he continued to watch her intentionally, a single eyebrow now raised in question. Surely he didn't think this was a common behavior of hers, right? It wasn't like she had made a _habit _of sneaking into his bedroom in the dead of night, just to watch him sleep or anything. She was only here on a whim! Just to do one last check on him and leave him alone for the night!

She wasn't like, a _creeper_ or anything.

…Gods, what if he thought she was a creeper?

Levi watched her for a long moment before finally sitting up from his bed and leaning just slightly against the wall as if actually…welcoming her company.

She took that as a good sign, albeit a rather surprising one. She was_ expecting_ a suspicious sort of frown, or that he would roll on his side away from her in attempts to communicate that he didn't want any visitors or checkups at such a late hour in the night. Instead, Levi was only further engaging her sudden visit, as if he was perhaps _happy_ she was there? Maybe a little?

One could only hope.

"I'm sorry for the intrusion Captain, I was…I just wanted to make sure you were okay." She stated weakly as she moved into the room, looking him over and trying as best she could to see how he was doing, but with it being so dark it was hard to tell.

Perhaps it was the stillness of the night, Levi's quiet acceptance of her sudden appearance, or the fact that the work she had set out to do was finally done – She wasn't sure why as she really hadn't intended on lingering, but there was a certain calming and peaceful element that soothed her nerves and lulled her to stay, if only for a little while longer. Petra walked further into the room and sat herself down at the foot of his bed.

Levi didn't seem to mind, and even went as far as to pull his legs in to make more room for her.

A comfortable silence formed between them, and Petra couldn't help but marvel at how strangely_ natural _this felt. For all the nonsense and rumors that had been buzzing around them with what sort of relationship they were in, she was surprised that being with him in the dead of night, just the two of them alone in his room like this, didn't bother her as much as she thought it would.

She wasn't sure how long she had been sitting there, both taking comfort in each other's presence, but Petra looked toward him, the light illuminating his face more clearly now that her eyes had fully adjusted to the dark. She watched him for a long moment, and finally spoke, "I know you can't really talk much right now..." her voice trailed off and she watched him with a light smile that broke as she gave a long sigh, "I wish you could."

She looked down into her lap, her nerves being stirred from the intensity of his gaze as Levi watched her in silence, and she gave a weak shrug as she looked toward the ground in admission, "It would be nice to know how you were feeling, or just hear your thoughts in general. It's been a few days, and even if you're normally a quiet guy, this just isn't like you and I guess some part of me misses the way things used to be."

Levi didn't attempt to respond, and Petra hadn't expected him to.

She rolled her neck and gave a contented sigh as she looked across his room, "It's weird. I mean, I've technically been around you nonstop these past four days, but it's like I haven't really had the chance to _really_ spend any time with you. What with you sleeping so much and all the things that I've had to do on my end." As she spoke, she noticed a sudden spark of interest from the Captain as he drew his eyebrows together as though outright studying her, and even without him saying a word, it was obvious he was waiting for an explanation as to what had kept her so busy.

She _had_ been caught off guard earlier, but she was finally ready to give him an explanation that would placate him, for now at least. Now that the work was done and he was on the mend, it was only a matter of time until he found out all of the details on his own. She quirked an eyebrow, choosing to feed him a half truth, "I've been pretty busy, you know. These past four days have been challenging; keeping the squad in line, running around for what you need, and something else that's been a bit of a surprise - keeping people off_ your_ back each day."

She saw his expression change, a sort of alarm crossing his face, and Petra continued quickly, not wanting him to grow too concerned at the small bit of information that was divulged to him, "Oh don't worry Captain - it wasn't anything I couldn't handle. Whenever people came around looking for you, before they could get a word in edgewise I reminded them that you were off duty with approval from the Commander himself, so if they had a problem with it they would have to take it up with Erwin directly."

Petra suddenly smirked, a dark sort of satisfaction evident in her tone as she watched him, "Granted, I _may_ have worded things a little more, eh..._ threatening_ at the time, but they seemed to take the hint well enough. And what's more, I haven't heard any complaints from Erwin so far, so all's well that ends well on that one."

At her explanation, there was a harsh sort of snort or exhale from Levi, a rattled kind of wheezing perhaps, but there was a hint of a smirk on his face and a slight bounce to his shoulders that suggested he _wasn't_ battling off a sudden coughing fit. While alarmed at first, Petra could only assume that awful hissing, gargley sound had been the sad results of his attempting to chuckle. She couldn't help the mirthful giggle that escaped her throat, and her laugh only intensified as Levi's expression fell – realizing that his subordinate's sudden amusement was completely at his expense.

She continued laughing, unable to control the small wave of laughter that renewed itself with each scathing glare the Captain sent her, though after a few moments passed by, her laugh finally died down. She gave a sigh and looked toward him in amusement.

"Sorry Captain, but you sound _ridiculous_." Petra confirmed with an apologetic smile, not intimidated by his glowering stare. She gave another chuckle as her smile mellowed out into something less mischievous and a little more reflective. She paused in thought and looked toward him, her voice more gentle as she spoke in a soft whisper that matched the calmness of the night, "And to be honest, I kinda needed that. I know it's not your fault, but it's been really weird seeing you like this, you know? It's had me…" She shook her head back and forth as she struggled to find the right words, "I don't know, up tight. On edge. Nervous, I guess? Pick whatever term you want but it's really been difficult to watch. You're always so strong and certain, and I never once thought about someone like you getting sick before. I guess…I guess that's pretty silly, huh?"

She looked away from him then, feeling a sort of shift in the atmosphere as she continued to speak her mind, "I know it means that I have you on an unrealistic pedestal, and I'm sorry for that, but this really threw me for a loop, you know? You weren't yourself and it made it hard for me to know what to do or where I stood with you. I care about you Levi, and I don't like to watch you suffer. Earlier today when you asked me if I was avoiding you…I responded truthfully. I really don't think I've been intentionally avoiding you, but the more I think about it, the more I wonder if…if maybe…"

She looked at him and frowned, "Maybe some part of me has been, because it's easier to_ not_ see you like this. It's easier if I just…" She paused and blinked as she heard her own words, giving an empty laugh and shaking her head, "Sorry, that…Look, I don't know what I'm saying, I sound like a complete asshole."

She looked toward Levi apologetically, wondering if her words were making any sense or if he was starting to get tired of her sudden and extended stay – and blinking at the odd way he was pressed back against the wall. He had shifted so he was sitting even straighter, resting his head back against the wall and looking straight upward, his chin tilted away from her and toward the ceiling, almost…panting. He gave a slight sigh as he breathed deeply, and Petra noticed his hair was starting to get somewhat plastered against his forehead.

She crawled over toward him in question, finding his behavior rather odd; sitting up on her knees so she would be tall enough to see him correctly. His eyes went wide as Petra reappeared a mere three inches from his face, though he lost all train of thought when she pressed her palm against his forehead.

He closed his eyes and gave a sigh of relief, her cool touch feeling wonderful against his suddenly extremely hot and flushed skin.

"Levi, you're sweating…" Petra stated with a quiet whisper, and he nodded once in agreement, not surprised by her words. He had been listening to Petra explain her thoughts, but then it suddenly got hot as hell. He had been fine a moment ago, but in the short span of two minutes, it had become unbearably warm. His skin was itchy and the air was far too stagnant for his liking. He had moved up against the wall and relaxed his head back against the cool surface, but it just kept getting hotter.

"I think…" she continued, her voice light and showing signs of underlying excitement, "I think your fever's breaking, Captain."

Her other hand moved to his cheek, and some internal, unchecked and impulsive part of him leaned into her touch, eyes closed as he sought after the relief her actions provided. He wanted to press his own hands against hers to keep them there, plaint and gentle against his face for as long as possible. Her touch was so light and sedating and he wanted nothing more than to feel her cool fingertips brush over his skin until the sudden overwhelming heat wave passed, but even in his unbearable state, he had enough self-control to keep his hands at his sides.

Barely.

All too soon Petra dropped her hands and was crawling away from him, and he opened his eyes in unspoken protest, but she was already walking toward the door. "Hang on for just a bit Captain, I'll be right back."

He heard her leave his room and he frowned at the loss of contact. He could still feel the parts of his face that she had touched, the last lingering coolness from her fingertips all but evaporating off of him in a mere moment. Levi sighed in frustration, somewhat wishing that he _had_ indeed pressed his hands against hers, if only to keep her there for a moment longer.

He repositioned against the wall, brooding because Petra disappeared yet again, and just when she had actually been helpful in making him feel better in the moment. Some part of him knew he was being childish, sulking when he didn't get his way, but she didn't _have_ to leave for whatever errand.

What business did she suddenly have to see to at two fucking A.M?

She could have sat there beside him and pushed the hair out of his face, run her fingers through his hair in a manner that made his mind blank, have him rest his head against her slender neck, perhaps she would rub his back again like she had a few times previously when his cough got out of control – Levi blinked a few times, surprising himself with the odd direction his thoughts had taken him, because he was…craving her touch, apparently.

His thoughts weren't _wrong_ per say; there was nothing inappropriate at play that made him feel shame or embarrassment and yet… Levi shook his head dismissively, mentally closing that door before his thoughts could run away with him. He really _must_ have been sick if he was entertaining such strange thoughts about her.

Fuck.

These past few days really had been messing with his head - hell, even these past few _weeks_. At the very least, his strength was returning; he could feel with every hour that he was just a little bit more himself. His thoughts were more clear, his balance was returning, he was eating something at almost every meal time again - things would go back to normal soon, he just had to last till then.

_Although_…

Levi sighed again and turned his head the other way, the wall _also_ being cool to the touch, but…

He still would have preferred Petra.

She returned a few minutes later with a large pot of water and a few washcloths that she had draped over her shoulder. By the time she stepped back into the room, Levi had kicked all his blankets off to the foot of his bed, taken off his shirt, and was using it as a makeshift sweat rag.

She said nothing to this, merely walked carefully into the room, having to take cautious steps as her eyes readjusted to the darkness again to ensure she didn't trip and spill the water everywhere. Finally, she sat down on the floor near the head of his bed, cautiously setting the bucket of water down beside her and taking a breath of preparation.

She set both rags into the water and pulled out the first one, wringing out the extra water and folding the cloth absently while she spoke in a whisper, "I know it's pretty miserable Captain, but you really should lay back down and try to sleep. You've lost enough sleep as it is with my being here, and the last thing I want is for your fever to come back now that it's finally broken. I've got these two washcloths and cold water; I figured I could swap them out from time to time to help keep you a little more comfortable so that you actually have a shot of falling asleep again. You know, try to keep you feeling cool while you sweat out your fever."

Levi looked down toward where she was sitting, giving her a long stare. He liked the idea of the cold water, he liked that idea very much, but he _disliked_ the idea of Petra watching him sleep, and disliked even more the fact that she would be sacrificing her own sleep in the process. She had done enough as it was, and more than that, he didn't want to encourage any more weird thoughts about her. He pulled his eyebrows together and watched her apprehensively, wishing he could speak to convey his thoughts, but was hesitant considering first and foremost, he didn't know the status of his voice and the last noise he made resulted in Petra laughing at him for a solid five minutes.

She gave a large yawn, "I don't know if this is what you're thinking or not, but try not to worry about me too much. You're the sick one. Besides, I can doze off and on here if that's okay with you – one night's sleep on the floor isn't going to kill me after all."

Levi continued to watch her cautiously from his spot against the wall, hesitant to relax against his bed, and Petra merely sat up a little straighter and pushed downward on his shoulder insistently, "Come on Captain, don't make it difficult. I'm too tired to deal with your stubbornness right now so just lay back down and try to get some sleep. I promise I won't tell the guys if you snore or something."

At her last comment he gave her a miffed and offended glare, and Petra gave a small chuckle, gently grabbing the wadded-up shirt out of his hands and again continued to nudge his shoulder repetitively with her palm, to the extent he was tempted to slap her hand away in irritation. Even though he was absolutely worn out after being sick for so many days, he couldn't imagine getting even an _ounce_ of sleep while Petra was a mere foot away from him like this. Still though, he knew Petra would not just walk away so easily, so after a useless staring contest, he gave a long sort of sigh and slowly placed himself back down across the mattress while eyeing her warily, silently wondering if she would be staring at him all night.

Petra relaxed her position to where she wasn't sitting on her heels and ran the washcloth over his neck and forehead gently, wiping any sweat away before pressing his hair back out of his face with a tender brush of her cool fingertips. Under any other circumstance, Levi would have been irritated or self-conscious about someone _intentionally_ touching him so brazenly, but after all the strange events that had occurred between them the last few days, as well as the fact that the cold water (and definitely not her cool, gentle fingers) felt wonderful against his heated and clammy skin, he found that while it wasn't without some discomfort, Petra's tender and repetitive touch was…tolerable.

Maybe a little nice even, but Levi was certain he only felt that way because of how miserable he was.

Petra put the washcloth back into the bucket and began wringing out the second fresh one, the sound of the water dripping into the bucket somewhat reminiscent of heavy rain. She again folded the rag and rested it across the expanse of his forehead, leaving it there intentionally and pressing the fabric against his skin and hairline with a light caress.

"There. Feel good?"

Levi looked at her just slightly, not wanting to move his head too much so that the washcloth didn't slip away. He gave a single nod to answer her question, but he knew that she couldn't possibly understand the full extent of just _how _relaxing and calming the small gesture was.

He didn't get sick very often, hardly ever, and the last time someone had taken care of him to such an extent like this – well that had been a lifetime ago, back when he was still in the Underground and his doting mother was still healthy and not bed ridden. Back when she was still _alive._

His internal thoughts again took him by surprise - he hadn't thought of his mother in years - though he supposed it was only natural that memories of her would flit back to him at the strangest of times, like this, when his mental defenses were somewhat lax and his mind had time to wander.

He didn't have a large number of childhood memories that involved her, but he knew instinctively that she was loving and kind. From some of the few memories he did have, he knew that she had a hard time reasoning with him. Even as a child, he was strong willed, and he had more than one memory of them fighting about some menial squabble.

If she _were_ alive today, he was certain that she would have gotten a kick out of a midget like Petra besting him, shouting at him and telling him what to do and openly laughing in his face, unable to take him seriously for she knew him too well. It was strange, but he knew with complete confidence that his mom would have liked her, a lot in fact.

A quietness fell back over the room and Levi relaxed into his bed, looking over toward Petra from the corner of his eye. He had been expecting to see her bright green eyes staring back at him, but noticed instead she was leaning against the edge of his bed, her arms crossed and cradling her head, eyes closed and her breathing more even and relaxed.

There was no way she was actually asleep, it had only been a few minutes at most since she put the rag on him, but it seemed she was serious about at least trying to doze off and on – he was relieved. It was still a bit unnerving, knowing that Petra was less than a foot away and that she would be keeping watch over him throughout the night, but it couldn't be helped. Even if he didn't want the attention, this wasn't a battle worth fighting as Petra would undoubtedly come out on top one way or another.

She always did.

He readjusted himself slightly and attempted to clear his mind, intending to at least try and fall back asleep. It was still hot, far too hot, but the cool damp rag was a significant help. He snuck one last peek toward the peaceful ginger, wondering if perhaps she actually was asleep, before closing his eyes and focusing on the sound of Petra's breathing. He could only hope that the morning came quickly, for both of them.

...

* * *

End Of Chapter

* * *

...

And that wraps it up for this week as well!

I keep looking at the word count and realize that man oh man have I been getting long winded. Rest assured there ARE chapters that are only four thousand some words because that's around the length I shoot for when preparing a newish section. (I think there's one singular chapter that is on the admittedly short side, just about three thousand something, but that's a rare thing.)

And yes, I know I say it every chapter, but GAH. I love this chapter so much! While I have a general idea before writing each chapter what's going to happen, I don't necessarily have all the details figured out and sometimes my characters take up a mind of their own and take a different path than I would have thought. Rest assured; it wasn't just Levi who was surprised when Kuchel crossed his mind. It was such a tender moment, and I enjoyed having a reflective Levi who's been stuck in his room for days and as a result his mind is becoming restless.

I enjoy this chapter so much because even though it's a result of the situation, we can finally see some of the results of Petra's kindness, Levi's familiarity, the trust they share – you will notice that my favorite chapters tend to highlight the character development that I work so hard for and this chapter was a big one!

Thanks for your support! Till next week!


	13. The One Where Levi Finds Out

Holy Cheese and crackers yall, is it Sunday already?

You know what that means – more trips to the river! *sigh* Well, I wish. Actually, yesterday and Friday it was the husband who got to go to the river, and NOT me (note the way these words are written with an obvious jealousy and bitterness), so now I'm really itching to get the kayaks loaded up and bustling down to the river because the water levels are amazing and the weather is getting HOT.

Hopefully sometime this week my chance will come, considering the holiday for my fellow U.S friends, it might clear up my schedule a bit to go toast my skin and get some miles accomplished.

But enough about me! Yall enjoy this chapter :)

...

* * *

...

For Levi, the night seemed to pass by in a sort of fever dream like haze.

For Petra, it did not.

It wasn't long before an exhale and creaking caused Petra to stir and she groggily looked up from where she was cradled against the side of his bed in slight confusion. It was Levi, she realized after a moment of sleep deprived confusion; it seemed the rag wasn't enough to keep him comfortable anymore. She didn't think that he was fully awake just yet, but he was clearly overheating again as he kept turning on one side to the other, rocking his head back and forth before shifting again in attempts to find some relief.

Petra sat up slightly, searching for the rag she had placed on him earlier and finally finding it crumpled up near his side. She grabbed the all but dry fabric and pushed it back into the water bucket in exhaustion. She rinsed it out thoroughly once or twice before wringing it out mechanically. She bit back a yawn, barely awake as she leaned forward and gently pushed the Captain by the shoulder, urging him to move off from his side and lay back down onto his back again.

He jolted slightly as he woke up fully from the sudden contact, eyes wide and disoriented until he realized it was just her. He relaxed and slowly closed his eyes again, resting on his back and giving a relieved sigh. As he had before, he turned his head this way and that as she worked, elongating his neck then leaning his head forward as she wiped the cool rag over him - down his neck, his hair, as well as the expanse of skin across his collar and shoulders, going so far as the beginnings of his chest in attempts to cool him down and keep him from overheating again. She put the rag back into the water and again pressed out the excess liquid, folding it quietly and again pressing it against his forehead gently.

Levi was asleep again.

Hours continued to pass by this way, but slowly. Unfortunately for Petra, the process repeated itself frequently and she was barely starting to fall asleep by the time the Captain would begin tossing and turning once more.

While the water was helpful in keeping him comfortable and would quickly lull him back to sleep without fail, it's sedating effects just didn't last long. He would effortlessly fall back asleep after being tended to, and Petra would cautiously place her head back on the mattress and shift slightly in her seated position on the floor, trying to find a somewhat comfortable position of her own. Her back ached, her legs were numb from sitting for so long, and to top it off, whereas the Captain was too hot, Petra was freezing.

It was early spring and the night still brought a chill – she hadn't known she would be staying with the Captain overnight so didn't have a blanket on hand, and the frequent use of the cold water wasn't helping matters either. At one point she debated grabbing one of the blankets that Levi had kicked away, but she knew huddling into one of _his_ blankets for hours on end was all but a guarantee she'd get sick. She had thought about going back to her own room for one, but each time she prepared to leave, as if on cue, Levi would stir again and she'd forget about it by the time she had finished tending to him.

Even still, as miserable as she was, she knew the Captain was close to getting over that hurdle that was his intense bought of illness and she was determined to see him through. Even though it was exhausting, her body ached, and her limbs throbbed, she could tough it out to make sure that he got as much rest as possible in such a state. Besides, with the paperwork finally done, tomorrow wouldn't be as demanding of a lineup as it had been previously, so between his last few doses of medicine and meals, she would be able to catch up on her sleep throughout the day.

There was a small groan that cut into the silence of the night, and Levi tossed his head to the side violently, causing the rag to slide off his forehead once again. Petra sighed and grabbed it, setting it in the freezing cold bucket and rubbing her tired eyes in attempts to focus.

It was going to be a long night.

…

* * *

...

When Levi woke early in the morning, the first thing he realized was that perpetual throbbing that had been in his head for days on end was finally gone. He opened his eyes and noted further that while he felt exhausted and drained of all energy, he actually felt…fine.

A sort of relief washed over him and he gave a quiet exhale.

_About damned time._

He sat up and pushed the hair out of his face, blinking once or twice and rolling his shoulders to test his previously sore and tense muscles. _Fuck_, would he kill for a shower right now. Petra had been diligent in trying to keep the process of his fever breaking as painless as possible, but even with her constant attention, he had still been sweating profusely for hours on end. His hair was stiff, his skin was gritty, he may as well just _burn_ his bedding – he bit back a sigh.

He redirected his focus and looked down toward where Petra was. She was still there, half sitting across the floor and leaning up against the edge of his bed, a rag clutched weakly in her hand from her self-imposed task of watching him throughout the night. It was a miracle she could sleep at all, what with her being hunched over like that. There was no earthly way that was even remotely comfortable, yet she was asleep all the same.

Just how _exhausted _did one have to be in order to be able to sleep like that…?

He frowned pensively as he stared at the rag still bundled up in her hand; finding it to be an odd detail that grabbed his attention for a second time. For her to still be holding it, it was likely that she had fallen asleep while in the very process of tending to him – _also_ an undeniable testament to how drained she really was after having cared for him for the better half of a week straight.

He found himself giving a half smile as he looked down at her, feeling a swell of pride in his chest as he watched her sleeping form. Her stubbornness, her work ethic, the discipline she carried herself with through the past few days – it was admirable, and just what he had come to expect from a member of his squad. Though a part of him wished to move her or do something that might make her a little more comfortable, he couldn't risk waking her up.

Once she was awake, regardless her _obvious_ exhaustion, he knew she would stubbornly demand to stay awake and resume her normal day to day tasks, likely insisting further that he remain bedridden just one more day so he didn't relapse. Even if he was fine, even if _she_ was the one that needed the rest at this point, he knew his subordinate well and knew that she wouldn't listen. A _normal_ Petra was difficult enough to reason with, but a sleep deprived Petra was a goddamned _nightmare_.

What was more, as much as he _did_ want her to sleep for her own health – fact of the matter was he had done none of his own work for a solid four days now, and relapse or not, he couldn't afford to sit and do nothing when he was already so far behind. For his own sake as well as her own, he needed Petra to remain asleep for as long as possible.

Mind made up, he carefully shifted toward the foot of his bed and moved to stand on the floor, using every bit of caution he had at his disposal to avoid making any sounds that would alert her to the fact that he was up and moving.

Walking softly across the floor and working in perfect silence, he collected his disease ridden and sweat stained bedding from off his bed, setting the bundle outside in the hallway before grabbing a fresh set out from his closet and carefully making his bed again, first pulling the sheet's corners onto the foot of the bed and working his way up to the opposite corner against the wall. He moved back to the floor and walked toward the head of his bed, having to tread very lightly as he gently and cautiously pulled the sheet over the last section of the mattress - the part that Petra was _currently_ resting on - hoping the slowly moving fabric would not jar her awake as he wedged the crisp sheet inch by inch underneath her arms and face.

With where she was resting, it _was_ difficult to work around her, but he felt it was important that fresh bedding be placed on his bed because the thought of the old bedding just..._sitting there_, was beyond disgusting. While he had somehow been able to pull the sheet beneath her without incident, getting the sheet fitted up and over the corner of his mattress was at a much harder bracket of difficulty, as Petra was hunched _right_ where he needed to be in order to properly access the mattress from the right angle.

He stood in place and stared at his mattress and untidy sheet for a moment of puzzlement and irritation, mentally trying to deduce the best tactics of making his bed without waking her considering she was right in the damned way.

Taking a breath of preparation after a moment of thought, he placed one foot around her and crouched lower, putting himself in a rather… compromising position as he hovered mere inches above her body, straddling her to some extent before leaning directly over her and stretching his arms around her resting form as he inched the last of the fabric over the corner of the mattress, lifting the edge up just slightly and pulling the fabric gently over the edge of the mattress. He had to angle his head in an unnatural way so it didn't brush against her while he tried to tug the fabric up and over the corner carefully, and due to the impossible angles and the even more impossible way he was standing, the sheet stubbornly would pull back off the corner and he was wondering if the task was even worth it. After a few more desperate attempts, finally the fitted sheet slowly snapped into place and he cautiously set the mattress back down against his bed frame, turning his head just slightly to check if she was still asleep or not.

From where he was positioned now, his own face was mere inches from hers.

Before, he had been focused on the small task at hand and just getting the sheet over his bed but now…

He could hear her even breathing - damn, he could even smell her _hair_ he was so close. He kept his own breathing quiet and controlled as he watched her for an extended moment; not certain why he was just standing there in such an uncomfortable position. He could only imagine Petra's reaction if she actually woke up right now. He imagined a surprised yelp or a loud gasp, and it would be a miracle if she didn't all out slap him in a knee-jerk reaction, and yet, even knowing there would be an absolute shit storm if she woke up, he found himself stalling just the same.

The task of getting the sheet across his mattress was done, he _really_ didn't want her to wake up, so there was no logical reason as to why he was indulging this sudden impulse to remain beside her, so close like this. He wasn't trying to cross any boundaries, it was just…

His eyes narrowed as he watched her in muted observation.

…It was strange.

She looked exhausted, her hair was frizzy and unkempt – sleep tossed and falling out of what was perhaps once a bun of sorts – her civilian clothes were baggy and wrinkled from her poor sleeping position, yet even still under all the mess…

She was undeniably _beautiful_, he noted in wonder.

There was simply no other word for it. Her peaceful expression, her wild hair, flushed cheeks and parted lips - Beautiful.

He stayed for a few moments longer until his legs ached from the odd position he was in, and he quietly shifted his weight back into his heels and tried to resume getting ready for his day, trying to put the memory behind him as it was just another observation that he was unsure of what to do with.

He grabbed a fresh change of clothes, grabbed his first dose of medicine from off his desk - he planned to take a shower, make a dent in his stack of paper work, perhaps report to Erwin before Petra could get to him and rat him out – but even still, no matter the amount of mental tasks he gave himself, the importance that was his time management… the image of a certain sleeping subordinate - hair glowing in the sunlight, amber threads splayed out around her like a halo - would keep coming back to him at the most inconvenient of times and distract him just the same.

…

* * *

...

It was about thirty minutes later that Levi had finally left the bathroom, feeling infinitely more like himself now that he was freshly showered and in his Scouts uniform, save for a towel that was still draped across his shoulders to keep his hair from dripping water onto his shirt and harness.

He stepped into the cool air of the open hallway and exhaled as he ran the towel through his hair once more and walked unhurriedly toward his office.

He had certainly needed that.

He had taken a longer time in the bathroom than normal, intending to make up for the previous four days of considerably lacking hygiene. He took the time to meticulously scrub off all the caked layers of sweat and grime, shaved the four-day stubble off his face, and even went as far to test the strength of his voice while in the privacy of the bathroom where the running water would drown out any pitiful noise that might be made as a result.

Much to his relief, his voice had actually returned. Granted it was weak and much deeper than it normally was due to all the drainage and rawness of his throat, but at least he _could_ speak if he needed to where his voice was clear enough that it wouldn't lead to people laughing at him like Petra had previously.

Admittedly his energy levels were still on the low side considering that after his shower he was ready to sit down for a bit, but he wouldn't say he was full on sick anymore, more so just drained and exhausted from the previous battle that was his long and miserable recovery.

He would use today to work on his paperwork and prioritize what had to go out immediately, versus what he could put off or people that he could conveniently avoid for a bit longer. With any luck, he could get a few hours of work in before Petra made her rounds and eventually found him at his desk. He was hoping that if he played his cards right, she wouldn't fuss and would decide to go about her day like normal. Truth of the matter was he didn't know if he had the_ energy_ to outlast her if she decided to become a pain about his decision to knock out some of his overdue paperwork. While it was true that he was rather tired and could probably still use a break or nap come the afternoon hours, he was simply too far behind to even consider it.

He stepped into his office and moved to sit into his chair, relaxing for only a moment and trying to mentally prepare for the onslaught of papers that had already accumulated _before_ getting sick, let alone whatever had been added to the stack throughout these past few days while he was off duty.

He opened his first drawer, pulling out the various folders of collected data; performance reports, maintenance orders, receipts of the team's expenditures, and finally moved to his side drawer to grab out the large folder that would be waiting for him, his so aptly labeled 'To Do' folder, with a resigned sigh.

He blinked as he opened the drawer, immediately noticing that the folder that was once at least an inch thick with overdue tasks and demanding notes that were _intended_ to come across as threatening, was resting in the drawer completely flat, as though not a single piece of paper was in it at all.

Levi grabbed the suspiciously light folder, a confused expression wrinkling his face as he set the empty folder across the surface of his desk in admitted curiosity and building frustration. Where the fuck were all his documents? Had Erwin come and grabbed the papers out perhaps, as a way to make it so he couldn't work until he was fully recovered? While he couldn't see Erwin going so far out of his way…Maybe Hanji?

That _did_ seem like the kind of thing that crazy so called 'scientist' would do.

He opened the manila file to investigate further, seeing only a single piece of white paper contained within it; a handwritten message across the surface of the page. He grabbed the paper pensively, only confused all the more as a sort of familiarity came to him. He knew that handwriting well, considering how many letters he had seen sent out with that same penmanship over the years.

The handwriting was not Hanji's _or_ Erwin's – it was Petra's.

Well.

…He certainly hadn't been expecting that.

He held the page up, still not sure what _Petra_ of all people had to do with his missing documents, and began to read.

"_Captain,_

_Over the years, it's always been you watching out for me. You've trained me, you've advised me, you've pushed me to my limits – I don't even know how many times you've saved my life during expeditions, and as I sit here writing, looking at the ring on my hand, it just serves as a daily reminder of how you've come through for me once again in even the most unlikely of circumstances._

_I know you would disagree or say that it's just your job so I shouldn't take it to mean anything, and yet…_

_Even still, I feel indebted to you in ways that I know I could never pay back. There's no avenue to; you don't talk to me about your problems and there's not been a single time that you've asked me for help over the years. If I were being honest, half the time I feel all but useless when compared side by side to 'Humanity's Strongest'_

_So, when I found this folder, I couldn't just sit back and do nothing simply because it was your problem and not mine. That's never stopped you before, so even though I didn't know how to fill them out, even though Erwin wouldn't permit such a thing, even though I was suspicious you wouldn't want me messing with your things when you were sick like this – surely even I could do something like this, right?_

_Hanji taught me, and after a considerable learning curve, I have to say that I am kind of impressed by everything you and the rest of leadership take note of and records like this. It's extremely detailed! Either way, I would fill out a form and then Hanji would deliver it to the respective person so there were no questions about why someone like me was running around with all your paperwork while you were sick. Rest assured, she looked over each one individually and would not turn it in unless it was done correctly, so there shouldn't be any errors that you have to account for later._

_While it took almost every second of free time I've had over these past few days, I'm happy to say that you are caught back up. Your next report will be due two weeks from now on the 15th, followed by the quarterly business report to confirm what materials we are going through, if any, at a more accelerated rate when compared to last quarter. I've added my notes and findings in your data folder, so that should save you some time as these last few weeks of records finally trickle in._

_I know it's only a small gesture and I'm sorry that I can't be a bigger help to you, but I promise that I will keep trying to find ways to support you and be there for you as your friend and subordinate. I truly appreciate everything you've done for me. Even if it's meaningless to you and you really are just doing your job, even still… it means the absolute world to me._

_Thank you for everything,__  
_Petra RaAcke-_  
**Petra**_

_Ps – If you are reading this, it'd better be because you're feeling better. I did not slave day and night for four days straight so you could relapse as a result of your sheer stupidity. I mean it, Levi. The flu may not have killed you, but I will._

Levi set the paper back down on his desk, a light sort of smile across his face as a chuckle escaped his lips from the sudden change in spirit at the very end of the letter. It went from apparent gratitude to an all-out _underlined_ threat in less than fifty words – there was no doubt in his mind that this was Petra's work alright.

He shook his head in silent wonder, trying to wrap his mind around the fact Petra had taken the time to not just learn how to fill out the forms, but had been disciplined enough to grind out months' worth of paperwork in a mere _four days_, all while keeping up with everything else she had been doing for him while he was sick.

It was impressive, to say the least, and it was a little difficult for him to comprehend from a time management standpoint. Their skill sets were clearly different, as he knew that he wouldn't be able to replicate even _half_ of what she had accomplished if given the same tasks and time restraint. There was no possible way.

He looked over the letter again, still finding himself in shock as he tried to come to terms with her impressive time management capabilities. She hadn't said a word about it or given him any indication that she was even _aware_ of his deadline issues, let alone the fact that she had decided to tackle his paperwork head on like this. Furthermore, he knew that many of those forms were not a simple matter, so even with Hanji's help along the way, he was surprised that she hadn't asked him any questions or didn't default to running to him when she got stuck, because the was no way she hadn't gotten stuck at least once along the way.

He felt as though he should be offended at the invasion of his privacy, or perhaps perturbed that she had the audacity to go behind his back yet again, only this time using Hanji as her pawn instead of Erwin. He was expecting a wave of frustration to course through his veins considering that, while yes, it was done with good intentions, this behavior crossed so many lines, so many _important _rules. He _knew_ that and was waiting for the exasperation to build within him as he pondered how to address the situation, and yet the feeling never came. Instead of frustration, there was a wave of overwhelming _relief_ instead, that, and an undeniable feeling of amusement that was Petra and her uncanny ability to take him by surprise time and time again.

He supposed that if there _was_ any frustration he felt, it was more from the fact that even after doing the practically impossible – learn the ins and outs of paperwork meant exclusively for a Commanding Officer and actually completing an overwhelming volume of documents in an extremely small time window – she still felt that she was inferior and was doing these things as a way to further prove her worth to some extent – an attempt to 'Pay him back' essentially, something that he had intentionally tried to drill into her countless times over – that she didn't owe him _anything_. It bothered him that Petra still didn't seem to understand the importance and value she brought to his team just by being herself, but he was at a loss for how to get it through her head that she had already proved her worth time and time again, to everyone but herself it seemed.

He leaned back in his chair with a light exhale, trying to decide what to do with the free time that had seemingly been opened up for him. He wasn't well enough to strap on the 3DM equipment and command his team through routines – that was what Eld was for – but just sitting quietly in his office for hours on end with nothing to do sounded far too boring and unproductive, especially after spending a solid four days in bed.

First thing was first - he needed to speak to a certain meddling subordinate who's compassion was rivaled only by her audacious stubbornness.

He looked over the letter one last time, finding yet another small smile pull at the corners of his lips as he contemplated all he had unknowingly put her through for the past number of days. It really was a shame she couldn't see herself in the same light that he did.

_Although_… he wouldn't deny that her need to prove herself had created some rather…. _interesting _results as of late.

He looked down to his left hand, turning his wedding band along his finger before standing up out of his desk chair. He carefully set the paper back into the folder, closing the file softly and set it back within the confines of his desk.

…

* * *

…

There was a shifting noise, a creaking of sorts perhaps, and Petra stirred slightly, lifting her head and giving a light groan as she opened her eyes a crack to see what it was that had disturbed her. Was it Levi again? She wasn't sure how long she had been asleep now – had he needed her help and she had somehow slept through it?

She looked through squinted eyes across the expanse of his bed, half awake at best, and noting in confusion that his bed was completely empty. She blinked again and tried to force herself to wake up more completely as her mind registered that something wasn't quite right. Where was Levi? And…she looked closer into the mattress, wondering if the sheet had been blue the whole time. She could have sworn it was white…

She looked out toward the rest of the room, a jolt of surprise running through her as she suddenly saw the Captain, dressed in his uniform and crouched down beside her just a few feet away.

"Levi…" she whispered in a breathy exhale, her voice faint from the lack of sleep and sheer surprise of seeing him up and about after days of being in bed. Did this mean he was feeling better? He must have been if he was out and moving around like this. Should she ask him? She knew he wasn't one to admit outright weakness, so would he even give her a straight answer? Could he even _give_ her a straight answer? Last night his voice had still been so hoarse, so she wasn't quite sure if he was able to speak just yet. Though her mind raced with questions, there was a certain warmness to the Captain's expression, a slight wonder as he watched her, that caused all her questions to die on her tongue as he continued to watch her contentedly. She could only stare at him in prolonged silence, wondering what he was going to say – or if he was going to say anything at all.

He swallowed once and cleared his throat softly, quirking an eyebrow as he watched her knowingly, "So Petra…you said you've been _busy_ these past few days."

Petra's mouth fell open as he continued watching her with that strange expression, realizing after a moment that he knew. She wasn't sure what time it was, she wasn't sure if he was actually better or not, but in that moment she was certain that he knew. She only nodded once, closing her mouth and swallowing thickly as she watched him for a response.

Levi returned her gaze and finally gave a long sigh, a smile pulling at his lips and he shook his head, "All this time…" he gave her a reproving stare that was only marred by his grin, "You're a complete fucking brat, you know that?"

Petra gave a weak smile, pleased that he didn't seem to be too upset, biting back a yawn and sitting up fully - wincing as she did so. Her body ached from the uncomfortable position she had been in for so long, and the hard-tiled floor certainly hadn't done her any favors either. She brought a hand to her throbbing head and frowned. She knew she wasn't sick, and yet-

"You're sleep deprived." Levi stated factually as he watched her, his expression finally morphing into a more serious one. He watched her flatly, "If you want to return to duty I won't stand in your way, but only after you've rested properly. Here." Without pausing or waiting for her response, Levi had moved down toward her and placed one arm under the crook of her bent legs, wrapping the other around the expanse of her back before shifting his own weight and picking her up off from the floor smoothly, a squeak of surprise emitting from Petra as she was suddenly hoisted into his arms without warning.

She wrapped her hands around the straps of his harness in a death grip, eyes wide as she looked up toward him then back down to the floor in alarm. Her face was already blood red from the shock and embarrassment of being suddenly _carried_ by him, "Captain! I can - I can walk!" she squeaked dramatically in protest, rolling her shoulders and kicking her legs slightly.

"Shit, calm down." He stated evenly, taking a single step before leaning over his mattress and placing her on top of his bed gently, "I don't want the men disturbing you throughout the day so you can sleep here - my end of the hall is usually pretty quiet. Bedding is clean too, so you should be fine."

Petra bit her bottom lip nervously before giving a single nod, a little less flustered now that she wasn't being manhandled by a certain Ackerman anymore. She wasn't exactly sure why she couldn't just walk down the hallway to her _own_ room, but she supposed there was merit to getting undisturbed sleep and decided not to press him on the matter. Reality was she was just too exhausted to care one way or another, that, and she was already here.

She exhaled in acceptance, shifting slightly to find a more comfortable position and bending slightly as she began to sit up. She had intended to grab one of the clean folded blankets that had been set out across the foot of the bed, however it seemed the Captain had beat her to it as he was already unfolding the fabric and preparing to splay it out around her.

Petra tried to give a haughty sort of smirk, remaining in an upright position for a moment longer before slowly laying back down onto the bed after realizing that the energy required just wasn't there. As much as she wanted to play it up, her exhaustion was getting the best of her and she had to bite back a yawn while she spoke, "If you…if you try to tuck me in I'll…I'll fucking slap you." She mumbled slowly, smirking faintly when a note of recollection finally came to the Captain's face.

There was a shadow of amusement that laced his tone, "…You would dare strike your Captain?"

"That depends." Petra responded coolly, "Are you actually well enough to do something about it?"

He almost chuckled, but considered her question for a moment. He gave a smirk and watched her intentionally as he set the blanket down around her in outright challenge. He crossed his arms and sat down beside her on the edge of his mattress and leaned toward her smugly. He nodded with narrowed eyes, though a light smile painted his lips, "Try me."

Petra gave a sincere smile as she shrugged in defeat, knowing this was his way of confirming that he was in fact finally feeling better.

_Thank Maria._

She exhaled in relief and her smile only grew all the more, knowing that her job of watching over him, the hell that had been their previous four days, was finally at an end for the both of them. She pushed her head back into his pillow, intentionally acting casual as she gave a dramatic exhale, "Well I'd better not then. My Captain is pretty strong. Kinda an asshole when he's sick though."

Levi only smirked at her statement as he leaned back from her, and Petra gave a contented sigh as she bundled some of the blankets in her arms, turning onto her side and watching him for an extended moment. A comfortable silence fell over the room again as Petra watched him calmly with a contented smile on her lips. The corners of his blanket were bundled up in her clutched hands so that it framed her face, and if Levi had to put a word to it, he would perhaps have described her being all bundled up on his bed as admittedly…. _cute_, if only in the moment at least.

Petra's expression was warm as she watched him, "Hey, Captain?"

"Mm?"

"…I'm glad you're feeling better. Truly."

The way she watched him, the smile on her face, knowing all the work she had done for him – he couldn't help but smile in return as he watched her. His voice was soft as he returned her gaze with admitted gratitude, "Well, I had some help."

As he spoke, as if on impulse he reached toward her and moved a piece of hair that had fallen into her face back behind her ear, his fingertips lightly brushing against the skin of her forehead in a whisper of a caress.

Petra blinked, instantly freezing in place and watching Levi with a completely different expression now, visually mystified by his actions. It wasn't wrong or inappropriate it was just… again she was at a loss for words, at a loss of all _thought_, and could only watch him with a curious expression as a blush rose and heated the expanse of her face in immediate response.

It seemed the Captain was also rather surprised by himself, as he looked almost shocked, then apologetic as he recoiled his hand far too quickly to be casual. A long silence fell across the room as the pair regarded each other in unspoken and unresolved question. When it became clear that neither knew what to make of the strange event or how to play it off, Levi cleared his throat, standing up from off the bed and looking to the other end of the room to avoid making further eye contact with his still surprised subordinate - though he would be lying if he tried to pretend for even a moment that he wasn't just as surprised as she was.

He nodded toward the door, "Well I…I should let you sleep. I've got my medicine, so I don't want you to worry about me today. Eld will be just fine running three-man drills, so don't come out until you're fully rested." He moved toward the door and grabbed the handle, "That's an order, Petra."

Without another word, he left the room quietly, closing the door behind himself with a metallic click.

...

* * *

End of Chapter

* * *

…

Alright, and that's a wrap for this chapter as well, as well as the OFFICIAL end of what I dubbed the 'Levi Sick' arc. So much important development in this arc, and I hope you enjoyed seeing how their relationship was challenged and grew as a result of honestly, Petra, and her insane devotion and admirable work ethic that landed her a spot on the squad to begin with. Did you catch the few pieces of symbolism I threw in there along the way – bits of foreshadowing? This arc was super important!

As for my personal favorites, I just love how Levi HAD to change his bedding right then and there – as Petra is somewhat, currently using it. The thought of 'well it can wait until she's up for the day' as you can see through his narrated thoughts, doesn't even _cross_ his mind, because…Levi.

Side note - allow me to throw a bone out to my numerous readers as a whole, who have wisely commented that they can't wait until Petra's dad comes back into play, because there's _no way_ he is fine with the whole arrangement. Enough of yall have commented something to that effect now, so I thought I'd publicly respond and give you a head nod.

Yes. All the yes.

Rest assured that will be hard core addressed and you all are spot on but….patience, my dear readers, thy name is Patience.

*insert winky face here*

*insert comment about how it will be totally worth the wait but it will happen in a way you don't expect slash I'd be amazed if you figured out how, but yall have already taken me by surprise before, so we shall see!*

As always, my reading audience is just awesome and I love, love, love, bringing you content! I'll see you next week and hope yall have a great rest of your weekend!

Thanks,  
Midnight


	14. The One Where Eld Was Right

Hello and good greetings to one and all!

I have decided that next week, the update will take place not on Sunday, but rather on_ Saturday _– the 13th

But Midnight, I can hear my loyal readers chant, why a day early pray tell; what has caused this phenomenon, when your Sunday updates have been going so well?

I'm so glad you asked! I will be posting a day early next week because it just so happens that the 13th *drumroll please* is MY BIRTHDAY! Yes, confetti canons and drinks all around! And if I do say so myself, next chapter (the one as teased below) is a doozy so it will be the perfect way for me to kick off my birthday :)

But let's not get too ahead of myself, there's still this chapter to get through. So yall enjoy, and see you at the end! (And apologies in advance for a long author's note!)

...

* * *

...

"Alright everyone, that's all for today. Dismissed." Levi stated with a nod, addressing his squad while sheathing his blades back into the metal canister; their work for the day finally completed.

The squad gave a nod and saluted before walking in a more relaxed manner off the training grounds. As they moved, talking lightly amongst themselves and making cracks about who performed the best, Levi called out, "Oi, Petra."

She turned over her shoulder, looking back toward Levi who merely motioned for her with a curl of his fingers. She nodded and began jogging back toward him, her breathing only slightly raised from their previous training session. She looked at him questioningly, "Hey, what's up?"

He paused for a slight moment and observed her, allowing her a moment to catch her breath then crossed his arms passively, "This Friday night, do you have any plans?"

Petra thought for a moment, then looked at him with a slight grin, "Well you're the Captain, you tell me."

He rolled his eyes, "Hilarious Petra. I'm being serious, do you already have the evening free or are you scheduled for kitchen duty or something else that I need to get you out of?"

She considered his question more seriously, not sure what was so important that made it so he was willing to pull rank just to clear her schedule for the evening. Well, he certainly had her attention. "No, I was on rotation last week so to my knowledge my schedule's pretty flexible. Why? What do you need?"

Levi nodded once toward the path that led out of the training grounds and began walking, hands moving down toward the gas canisters strapped around him and he carefully unbuckled the harness straps from off around it. Petra followed after him and did the same, more than happy to rid herself of the heavy equipment. Levi held one of the canisters freely in his arm and set to work on the second one, speaking as he worked to undo the belt that held it strapped securely in place, "It's the annual Officer's Banquet."

Petra nodded in recollection, holding her own gas canisters in her arms as she walked beside him on the dirt path, "Oh right right, I guess it is that time of year again isn't it?" She adjusted the weight of the metal in her arms and gave a small laugh, "Well if that's all it is, no stress! I'll let Eld know and he can take care of drills for the day; after all you have to get pretty dressed up for that right? I'm sure Eld will understand that you need some extra time to get ready. Just leave it to me!"

Levi nodded, "Well sure but-"

They reached the equipment hall, a small building stationed out beside the training grounds, and began to put their equipment away so the gas could be refilled, and their dull blades sharpened and returned to them by the following morning. There were a few Scouts that were also putting their canisters and blades away, so their conversation was temporarily silenced until they had both sorted their gear and began walking back toward the Compound.

Levi picked up where he left off once they were a few feet away from all the noise, "Petra, I was actually-"

"Oh right! _Me!_ Sorry, I really should have guessed." She stated quickly after noting how the Captain was watching her with an expectant sort of stare. She hadn't intended to make him outright _say_ it, but in her defense, he had to know how impossible it was to get a good read on him. She tried to appear casual and not make a big deal out of it, as she wasn't trying to hurt his pride. She gave a simple shrug, "Of course I can help out with your paperwork Levi, just tell me what you need and consider it done."

The Captain sighed.

Though he had well gotten over his illness and since returned to active duty numerous weeks ago, Petra had picked up a not so temporary habit of joining him in his office and helping him with whatever forms or documentation that came his way. At first he had resisted her help stubbornly, certain that it was just her attempts to prove her worth to him, but she insisted that she wanted to learn for her sake, not his. Try as he may, he could only withstand her constant nagging for so long before he finally gave in.

At first he had just monologued what he was doing and why, and when he finally felt comfortable enough to allow Petra to fill things out on her own again with only minimal supervision on his end, it was obvious she had indeed been taught by Hanji, as she had picked up a lot of Hanji's notably bad habits. For as long as Levi had worked with the Scientist, he had known her to be terribly disorganized, frequently used wrong numbers as a result, and would get so caught up in various numerical outliers that she ended up tripling her work with nothing to show for it but wasted paper and a string of illogical data with no resolution.

Levi intentionally and meticulously retaught Petra how to fill out each form to his liking - what data he was tracking, how he came to those numbers, things he recorded differently than Hanji did, and better methods of keeping the papers organized for future use. In the event that she actually decided to consistently be thumbing through his paperwork, they needed to be using the same system or it would just become a chaotic mess that neither could make sense of.

While he didn't quite like the idea of his subordinate doing his work, he figured that more than anything Petra was just curious and would get bored after a few days and eventually go back to whatever it was she had done with her time previously. Much to his surprise, instead of her popping in less and less as the days went by, he found that the more he taught her, it only resulted in her being even _more_ diligent; hungry to learn new things and find new data to track. At this point it was very rare that their evenings were not spent side by side, huddled behind his desk and silently working on his paperwork as it came in – an admittedly nice change of pace from being constantly behind.

To her credit, she truly did seem to be absorbed in the data for her own interests, rather than simply wanting to help out as some sort of favor to him. She often explained while they worked that there was benefit to knowing the ins and outs of everything they had been tracking, as there were _so_ many ways that the data could be applied. Why, it could be used for training, tracking the effectiveness of new formations, how well suited a Scout was for such and such position - Considering the numbers behind it all really weren't an interest of his, Levi would nod along and try to mentally drown her out as she went on and on about how such and such number had changed, why that may be, how it compared the last's weeks data – fuck, she was almost as bad as Hanji when it came to this sort of thing.

Even still…

"That's not what I'm talking about." Levi corrected, intentionally stopping in the middle of the path so he could get her attention long enough to say what he needed without her making even further assumptions. Petra noticed his sudden pause and also stopped walking, looking at him in question. He exhaled, "You're coming too, to the banquet I mean."

Her face showed signs of surprise, then a suspicious sort of expression slowly spanned across her face. Her voice was guarded, and she watched him seriously – a bad sign. "Wait. The entire squad is coming, or_ I _am coming?"

Levi tried not to sigh, having hoped it wouldn't turn into this sort of conversation. He watched her pointedly, "Just you."

She clicked her tongue as a way of response and Levi all but groaned, knowing Petra, and knowing at once that this was not a good reaction regardless her calm demeanor. "I see. And why, might I ask? I'm not an Officer so unless there's an upcoming promotion you haven't told me about, _not likely_, by all accounts I shouldn't even be invited."

He watched her with an irritated expression, still hoping that he could somehow diffuse her impending and festering anger before shit hit the fan. His voice was more quiet and he took a step toward her, "Look, you know why. You're my wife now, legally at least, and spouses are invited by default."

Petra crossed her arms, taking a step _back_ away from him and glaring tersely, no longer disguising her clear disapproval as her face wrinkled in anger, "Invited sure, but not _required!_ Levi, people still watch me with this knowing stare, Eld's been telling me constantly that people are still hounding them with questions about it-"

"Eld has a big mouth-"

"And." Petra continued sharply, glaring in a manner that suggested she was not finished, "All due respect, but didn't we talk about this? You told me that it would all just be a stupid piece of paper that wouldn't impact the squad or how things worked, that _this_ sort of thing-" she motioned between them with a point of her finger, "Would _not_ be happening!"

Levi gave a low exhale and Petra crossed her arms stubbornly, "I do not want to go to a big gathering of higher-ups and be paraded around like a spectacle for people to make wild assumptions about for three hours straight where I have no avenue of escape. Thanks for the invite or whatever, but I'm not going. 'Spouses are invited so you're attending by default' yeah, to hell with that - This is_ not_ the time to wave that stupid marriage license in my face, Levi."

"Right." He stated simply as he stared at her with his own growing sense of aggravation, "Like you _haven't_ been going around and using our arrangement to your advantage when it plays in _your_ favor?" He was instantly regretting his words the second they came out of his mouth, but it was all too late. He watched her face glow red, whether from anger or pure embarrassment of being called out, he wasn't sure, but he braced himself all the same for what he knew was going to come.

She didn't disappoint.

Her voice was raised well beyond what was necessary for such a conversation, to such an extent that a few fellow Scouts stopped walking along the path, looking at them with wide eyes before realizing just who it was that was making such a commotion before scurrying away as though they hadn't noticed in the slightest. While Petra was the one that grabbed their attention, it was Humanity's Strongest that they feared, and whatever was going on between the Scout's salacious new couple, they did not want to be caught in the crossfire if it meant getting on the Captain's bad side.

"How dare you even imply such a thing!" Petra protested loudly, and Levi grimaced at her volume, "How can you even say that, you jackass! Where's the gratitude?! You were being sick and unreasonable; it's_ your_ fault I had to resort to that. For four days I _slaved _over you and now you have the audacity to – The _least _you could do is at least try and-"

"I know. _I know_." He stated quickly, his voice even more quiet in attempts to try to calm her down. He looked over his shoulder at the various Scouts walking past them with wide eyes, somewhat regretting his decision to have this conversation with her out in the open like this. He should have known she wouldn't take it well, and Petra had a long-standing history of _loudly_ questioning what she didn't agree with. To her credit however, she did fall silent under his gaze after he cut her off, watching him with a suspicious glare and waiting for him to explain himself.

He took the opportunity to sort through his thoughts and pick his words carefully in hopes to not set her off again as the stares they were receiving weren't necessary, "If it makes you feel better, I agree with you. I find these events to be boring and insufferable and like you said there's really no reason for you to be there. The only problem is that spouses _do_ traditionally attend, so you can bet Erwin went out of his way to ensure that you'd be coming along. He literally tracked me down and everything."

Petra's mouth fell open and she groaned, "Erwin again?" The fire seemed to leave her at this revelation, and she gave a sad sigh as she watched her Captain skeptically, "Levi… they're going to _hate_ me. Can't you just tell the Commander that I'm not comfortable going? Would it help if I talked to him perhaps? I mean no offense Captain, but I have no intention of going out on a date with you – that, and being ridiculed and judged all Friday night sounds…less than ideal. Besides, I don't even have a dress!"

Levi mentally reviewed all of her excuses and reasons why she couldn't attend, inwardly noting with indignance that he had not _once_ said it was a date, then frowned at her last point, "Now that _is_ a problem, I didn't even think of that. Look - I hear you, okay?"

Petra gave a relieved exhale and halfway smiled triumphantly, thinking that Levi was finally seeing reason and a sense of validation came over her, "Well then, there you go. I don't have a dress, so I can't go. Give my regards to Erwin."

Levi rolled his eyes, again starting to walk down the dirt path, "Wha – no, not that, you know full well that I can't go around Erwin so you're coming like it or not."

Petra frowned as she chased after him, "But I thought…"

"Petra it's a dress, not fucking _Atlantis_. I think we can find you something in the next few days." He smirked at her dramatic reaction, her face already starting to turn red again, "Now I may have to have your schedule rearranged, but hey, I'm sure your Captain won't mind."

Petra merely glared at his tongue and cheek response, finding she didn't know what to say because the matter was so clearly out of her hands.

They reached the compound and Levi nodded, "Either way, I'll get it taken care of and let you know. Good work today, take the night off."

He moved down into the hallway, and Petra's eyes narrowed all the more as he walked away from her. She crossed her arms and popped out a hip, "I'll go, but I'm _still _coming to your office, Captain!"

"If you can get in." he corrected as he continued moving across the room, "I had a lock installed."

"Wha – since when?" she called out, her voice echoing across the large space of the common room.

Levi paused at the end of the room and looked toward her, a challenging sort of smirk across his face, "Since a pesky fucking brat kept coming in and messing with my shit. _Take the night off_."

With that, he continued down into the hall in silence.

…

* * *

...

It was a few hours later that Petra was pecking at her dinner, poking at the noodles halfheartedly with her fork and occasionally attempting to eat a mouthful before letting out a silent exhale, mentally brooding over the upcoming event that she was apparently _required_ to attend.

Commander had supposedly gone out of his way to make sure that Levi was taking her with him, and what was worse, Levi had no intention of even trying to fight back. Did her opinion not even matter? The whole thing was just so stupid to her; why was it so important that she attend anyway? What could anyone hope to prove in the event that she didn't go to the event – as if that would make their marriage any less valid? She knew that Erwin wanted them to keep up appearances as best possible, so she _could_ understand where he was coming from, but he wasn't taking into account that the gossip wheel was _finally_ starting to slow down. She was certain that their making an appearance would only cause new sparks to fly all over again.

She bit the inside of her lip pensively, shaking her head at the quiet conflict raging in her mind.

"Petra, you've hardly touched your dinner – is everything okay?" Gunther asked as he watched her in concern, "I know it's bad, but you've really gotta eat _something_ or you'll pass out come tomorrow."

She blinked, attempting to pull her mind out of its current fog and focus on her team.

They had gathered to eat dinner, as they did almost every night, and as the conversations came up about this or that, she found she didn't have much to say. Levi was nowhere to be seen – not uncommon as he only joined them for dinner maybe half of the time at best – and his absence left her rather pensive, able to think things over without his influence on the matter.

She set her fork down and sighed as she gave apologetic glances to her worried squad mates, "Sorry, I guess I'm not very hungry. Want me to grab your plates and run them back to the mess hall? I'm finished."

There were glances exchanged and Eld leaned back in his chair with a heavy sigh, "Alright Petra, what's up? Something on your mind?"

Petra felt apprehensive as she didn't know what she wanted to say, or maybe what she should say. It wasn't that she wanted to keep secrets from her team, but they had already suspected her of so much that it made her a little hesitant to share things that revolved around herself and the Captain. Even still, this seemed innocent enough considering Erwin was the one behind it all, and it would be nice to have someone to talk to about the various things filling her mind as of late. Strained as all their relationships had been as of late, they were still family to her, and she trusted each of them implicitly regardless the tension that had been between them.

She shrugged, "Well you could say that, but I don't want you guys freaking out about it because it's what Erwin wants so…there's nothing I can do."

"So, something with you and the Captain then?" Oluo filled in, and Petra only nodded in confirmation.

Gunther turned toward her in his chair, giving a 'so what' sort of look, "…And?"

Petra almost smiled, not sure if there could have been a better response given.

Things certainly weren't perfect, but her squad had been trying to be more accepting and open – actively working to not jump so quickly to conclusions. They had come to accept that they weren't having a secret affair, and while it was obvious to the males in her squad that things _were_ different between the Captain and their lone female teammate, they had started to turn a blind eye. It made things a little easier, especially at times like this.

"Well, the Officer's banquet is on Friday and because Levi and I are legally…_married_," she all but whispered the word as though it were forbidden to say out loud, "Erwin says I have to go because spouse's get an automatic invite. I get that it's not a huge deal and I'm only making it worse by stewing on it like this but…"

She took a deep breath as she tried to find the right words, sighing all the more, "It's just got me thinking is all, about everything that's been happening since the wedding. Even you guys, my own team, have treated me differently since, and that was what, over two months ago now? I thought people would have gotten used to it by now, but I still get the dirty looks and whispers, people still talk about me like I'm the Scout's resident homewrecker, and going to an event where its exclusively Officers that have no doubt heard about how 'Humanity's Strongest' messed up and had to marry his own subordinate – and, oh look she's right there, do you see a baby bump yet? Should we try to talk to her? Is that really how she got on his squad then, or do you think they hooked up after?"

She buried her head in her hands and groaned in frustration, "That's all I've been hearing as of late, and I'll be stuck there for hours with him and will just have to take it; all their assumptions, all their snickering and hushed conversations – forget the fact that_ none_ of them know the real story. I just really, really don't want to go!"

The silence extended and she dropped her hands in her lap, pushing stray hair out of her face, "When the Captain came and talked to me that night, he was so confident that things wouldn't be different - and in his defense, some days really aren't. Some days feel completely normal and I actually can forget about the ring on my hand and the fact that my last name is magically the same as his now. But other days, it_ is _different. _Very different._ Sometimes when I'm alone with Levi, I actually feel _guilty_ and have to wonder if people are going to accuse me of, what, trying to seduce him or something? Other days, you guys will come in to his office while we're talking and quickly excuse yourselves because it may be a 'private' conversation – and worse still – sometimes they _are_ private conversations that I don't want shared – conversations that I've _never_ had to have with Levi before and it's just all gotten so…"

"Out of hand?" Oluo offered, and Petra nodded glumly.

A silence fell across the room as the squad listened to Petra vent about her frustrations resulting from the strange marriage between herself and the Captain. Only when he was completely certain that she had said her peace, Eld cleared his throat and turned toward her in his chair, "Petra, I'm not trying to be a jerk and say 'I told you so' for the fun of it, but I _did_ try to tell you back then that it wouldn't be as black and white as you seemed to think. If you guys don't want to have a traditional married relationship that's perfectly fine, but to be frank, it's impossible, not to mention unfair for you to expect_ other_ people to treat you like you aren't married because…Well, _you are_. You are in fact _married_ to Levi Ackerman. That's a fact Petra, and one that you need to make peace with."

Petra looked up at him slowly and he returned her gaze intentionally, "Sorry to state the obvious, but I think you could stand to be reminded of a few things here. People _don't_ know the circumstances behind it all, they just know the one simple truth that you got married. Based off that one fact alone, they are going to assume you are a couple – a _normal_ couple. They are _going_ to assume you are sleeping together. They are going to assume that you _love_ each other; that there's passion and a spark between you. They are going to assume all those things that you _yourself_ would after hearing that someone got married. I'm not saying you don't have a right to be frustrated, but it would do you good to remember that you're setting yourself up for a world of hurt if you're just waiting for people to see the light and treat you like you're just same old Petra Ral and that nothing has changed."

Her eyes widened at his statement and Eld paused, his voice gentle, "Petra, the reality is you signed that privilege away when you changed your last name. What was normal, how people used to see you, is a thing of the past and it's time you accepted that. Now, that's not to say that there can't become a _new _normal and a new sense of adapted identity - but forget the details and the whys, look at the single truth that you married our _Captain_. That absolutely changes things, for everyone, but _especially_ you and Levi."

Petra took in his words slowly, knowing that all he said rang painfully true. Eld was exactly correct, and hearing his words now, she actually felt dumb for not realizing it before. How had either of them actually believed it would be a simple matter and that no one would actually care? It seemed so certain at the time, Levi himself had been so sure, she had been so distracted with all the changes and to do's, and now….

_What had she been thinking?_

Air seemed to leave her lungs as she replayed his words in her mind. Eld had worded it so well - It wasn't that there couldn't be a new normal, but what was once their team's version of normal, was now and forever behind them. There would always be hiccups that resulted from their complicated marriage, and try as she may to deny it, things just weren't so black and white between her and the Captain anymore and they never would be again.

_Ever._

"I think…" she began in a whisper, "I just need to be by myself for a little while…" She began to stand up from her chair, preparing to leave the room so she could sort through her thoughts because it really seemed so obvious, and yet it changed everything in her mind.

Gunther cleared his throat firmly and pointed at her chair darkly, "Um, no. What _you_ need is to sit your crazy ass back down and finish your dinner. You're too damn scrawny as it is and Captain's going to be upset if you're too shaky to get through training tomorrow because you skipped out on a meal. He's been protective as fuck over you ever since the whole sick thing, and I sure as hell am _not_ running any extra laps tomorrow because you wanted to go cry in your room after figuring out what was obvious to anyone with half a brain. You can cry _here_ in between bites of pasta for all I care, so sit your scrawny ass down or I'll tie you to the chair and force feed you."

Eld and Oluo nodded in immediate agreement, smirking at Gunther's serious expression, and Petra gave another long sigh, not even attempting to deny his claims, knowing that again, they were right.

"…Fine."

"Atta'girl." Oluo smiled as he watched her adjust back into her seat forlornly. He tried to cheer her up and gave her a wide smile, "Besides, what's the worst the can happen? You gotta think positive here; it's only for a few hours, and what's more, it's open bar right? If you play your cards right and drink enough, you won't even _remember_ going at all. See? That's a win win."

She snorted, laughing at the idea sarcastically and rolling her eyes in a playful manner, "Oh sure thing Oluo, and I'll bet Levi would just _love_ taking care of a drunken me all night long."

Oluo's expression somewhat fell into a look that read, 'Oh I'll_ bet_ he would.' And Eld cleared his throat before anyone said what they were all undoubtedly thinking, "Hey, Oluo's right. Don't stress about it, try to have a good time, and it'll be over before you know it. Maybe it won't be as bad as you're thinking – with so many people attending, perhaps they won't even notice you're there."

Petra nodded slowly, grabbing her fork and taking a bite of her food. She chewed quietly and swallowed, then sighed, "Alright fine, I'll try to…keep a good attitude I guess, but….I just have one question."

"What?" Gunther asked, and Petra shook her head in dismay, setting her fork down and frowning.

"Why is our food so _terrible_? How can you guys even eat this? They under cooked the pasta again and it hurts my teeth to crack into it! This is worse than usual, and that's saying something."

"Eat it, or the Captain will have our heads tomorrow."

"…Fine."

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End of Chapter

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And that's it for this week's update!

This chapter doesn't have a lot of 'action' in it per say, but man is it important and one that couldn't be skipped out on in terms of individual (and combined) character growth for Petra, as well as her squad. I'm sure yall can tell, but I really have a soft spot for Squad Levi – every single member (Except Eren. Refer to prior rants) I love Eld's humanity , Gunther's straight shooting, always down to business and tell you how it is gruffness, and Oluo who is…*internal screaming* difficult to write here in this story, because I wish I could highlight his strengths because I love Oluo, but…considering that his actions are narrated through Petra, who finds him annoying and doesn't recognize the value he adds to the team, well, my work has been cut out for me in terms of giving Oluo the proper attention he so deserves.

Perhaps it's the fangirl in me, but I _love_ how Levi put his team together – certainly not by accident and not without painstaking consideration, because they each compliment each other_ so_ well. (Levi is a BRILLIANT tactician.) You have Oluo who can keep things light hearted but takes pride in his _personal_ accomplishments (which drives rivalry and competition with the others to provoke better performance as a result), Gunther who makes sure they see to business and puts orders before all else, Eld who watches over the team in a balanced and emotional sense that Levi doesn't quite have the emotional intelligence to see to – and Petra, who when the squad butts heads or testosterone gets a little too high, her natural kindness and ability to work with anyone seams them all together and makes it so they can get through anything, even if they are at their wits end in exhaustion or rivalry.

I know this story is a romance between Petra and Levi, but I would be remiss if I didn't include these squad moments where it's effectively like the family, sitting around and chatting about the new boyfriend the second after he drops her off after a date. (Was that just my family? I'm not actually sure, but in my house we had MANY of those conversations!) It's the soul searching questions of, have you thought of this, do you like this, are you both being wise with your decisions – and Petra just kind of blinking because, no, she was so focused on her one singular goal that she didn't even stop to consider the OBVIOUS.

*clears throat* Sorry, getting a little carried away here, but man oh man am I passionate about this team :)

And again, apologies for such a long note today, but something I did want to clarify in terms of some of the reviews I have seen, let me just lay it all out there for yall so there are no surprises later. When I say be patient in terms of this story…in general…*breath of preparation*

Let me explain.

As for what I already have written up and divided into chapters currently, I've got just over THIRTY chapters. And I'm thinking I'm just over _halfway_ done, give or take in terms of what's written vs what needs to be written still out. At the end of the day, I'm guessing this story will be between sixty and seventy chapters? When yall have commented that you like slow burns, I can only laugh and say I'm_ glad_ to hear it, because man on man did you find one. This story is not going to be rushed, it is not going to have the 'and they were suddenly caught in a rain storm so they had to pitch a tent and huddle together for warmth (survival only) and one thing led to another and whoopie, she's pregnant but its fine because they're in love, and tomorrow, in the THIRD day of their relationship, they will face...'

Ha. Ha. Ha.

Yall talking to a married woman who knows FULL well that love is ever changing, and developing, and HARD. Relationships are HARD yall. More than anything, I suppose I wanted to write something that attributes the messy, chaotic, mistake ridden mystery that is making a relationship work because there's no magic that makes two people's lives just come together and work itself out effortlessly. It's not about the sparks and the tingly feelings, it's about hard work and these sixty to seventyish chapters are going to put that on full display, if I have anything to say about it.

For those who weren't aware that this story was going to get that long and aren't interested in following something that takes that long to resolve, it _may_ be a good time to bow out, seriously. It's the end of a good arc, our couple is in a good place, and it gives you that closure of a good read. _But_ for those who are looking for something a little more drawn out, realistic and thought provoking, truly, patience is gonna have to play a key factor in that because at once chapter a week (assuming I don't have to go to every other week, but I have _no_ shame in doing so if I have problems getting proper material out!) that puts us still doing this story, till what, spring of next year? Yikes!

Just… you know, be aware of what you're in for here. I'd like to think it's going to be a ride worth taking, and I like yall so much so there's always that, but of course you decide what you want to follow. There's many great reads on this site to be sure :)

*gets off soap box*

Anyhow, thank you guys so much for everything and sorry about this book of an Author's note. Felt it was important to put those cards on the table so no one is surprised! I will see you on SATURDAY with the birthday hats and all. Have an awesome week!


	15. The One Where Levi Gets Kicked Out

Bring out the confetti canons!

Bring the joyful children and ALL the chocolate!

Today is my birthday, and told yall I'd update early! My dear father is taking me out to breakfast today, so I knew I'd have to post this first thing in the morning and then allow my readers to shower me with reviews for this chapter, because it is actually one of my favorites and I'm certain yall will love it just as much. How fitting this chapter is the one that fell around my birthday :)

Enjoy!

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"I can't believe you!"

"Yeah, yeah."

"You cut our training day in _half_, for this?"

"The time had to come from somewhere, and I don't want you missing dinner. I told you I'd have to rearrange your schedule, didn't I?"

"Well sure but-"

"Just stop your damned bitching and get inside already."

At Levi's command, Petra merely stood in place and sighed, her expression changing from outrage to sheer dread. She chewed on her bottom lip for a moment and looked up at him with large, sad eyes.

Her voice was a quiet, defeated mumble, "Captain, please don't make me do this."

He rolled his eyes, and nodded again toward the door in irritation. "The theatrics are hardly necessary Petra, now move your ass."

Petra gave a resigned sigh and slowly turned toward the door, opening it and stepping inside glumly without another word of debate.

A familiar metallic ding resulted once the door was closed behind them, and there was a 'Just a minute!' and some further shuffling heard.

"Oh my, well if it isn't my favorite engaged couple!"

Petra gave a large, fake smile to the already glowing shop keeper, though hissed between gritted teeth as she leaned closer toward Levi in attempts to keep up her jolly pretenses, "Of all the places to get my dress, you _had_ to choose this place?"

Levi watched her blankly, his voice also somewhat hushed as the shop keeper made her way across the floor toward them, wanting to ensure that their last-minute bickering wouldn't be overheard, "I thought you liked her dress, so it made sense to come back here."

Petra blinked, her previous expression falling as she looked toward him in undisguised wonder, "…But I never…"

"What?" he asked in question, unnerved by the way Petra was staring at him with such wide eyes. He shrugged as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, "I saw you looking at it." He nodded toward the shop keeper who was now standing in front of them with her signature charismatic grin, not permitting their conversation to continue.

The shop's keep took one large step toward Petra, grabbing her left hand up and grinning, "Oh it is so good to see you my dear, and let me just say that this ring simply _radiates_ when it is worn by such a lovely lady like yourself!" she dropped Petra's hand, holding back a chuckle as the girl's face began to turn red from the compliment. She redirected her attention to her fiancé, "And it's good to see you as well, Captain. How is the wedding planning coming along? I've been watching the newspapers like a hawk so I can read all about your big day when it happens, but I haven't seen anything yet. You_ have_ to tell me if it's coming up soon, I might just die of anticipation! It's in the next few months at least, right?"

"We're already married." Levi stated simply, and the shop keeper blinked in confusion.

"Married - not engaged anymore? Oh my! Congratulations in that event, I wasn't even aware!" She looked a little crestfallen and gave a sigh, "I'm just so disappointed though; I can't believe I ended up missing it somehow. I was so certain that the marriage of Humanity's Strongest would be big enough news to receive district wide coverage. If not that, then _at least _our local paper considering your headquarters are stationed so close to us. You _are_ somewhat of a celebrity after all so it only seemed natural."

She shook her head, speaking more quietly as she thought it over, "I can't believe they didn't write up even the _smallest _of congratulations, or even a mere marriage announcement. They do that for _everybody_ out here, so the fact that you weren't even recognized _at all_ is absurd!" She paused in dismay, then cocked her head in realization as she finally heard herself, a sort of mischievous smirk on her lips, "Unless…you secretly eloped."

She shifted her gaze between the two, a knowing smile across her face as her previous excitement returned to her, "You did, didn't you! Wait - let me guess, it was some sudden, unexpected ceremony that was just you and your closest friends, completely spur of the moment; took everybody by surprise sort of thing, right?"

"Well…yeah, actually." Petra mumbled with wide eyes, finding that the shop keeper's explanation wasn't all that far from the truth. She of course had the wrong idea about what _caused_ the time crunch, but the end result was… _very much_ what she had just claimed it to be.

The woman simply grinned all the wider at Petra's stunned silence, "I thought so, and it_ is_ fitting I suppose, the more that I think about it. Not that I know either of you that well, but I've been in the business for a while and I've got a good feel for these things if I do say so myself. I should have known that a small ceremony is what you would have preferred, namely _you_, Captain."

Petra looked at Levi, though his expression remained unchanged, not seeming to either confirm or deny her statement.

The shop keeper cleared her throat and folded her hands across her lap, "_So_, you're married now. I know you're in the military but surely they've given you your own little bungalow by now, right. Perhaps, are you here to furnish your place? Bear in mind we have a lot of contracts with talented artisans, so if you have the luxury of time on your side, we can custom design something really nice for you. I'll even give you a discount as a…frequent customer sort of deal!"

Petra couldn't help but give a sincere smile to the shop keeper; her positivity was irritatingly infectious. Petra had _wanted_ to be angry, hellbent on making Levi miserable for actually going through with it and making her get a dress, and by proxy, attend the gathering that was a mere day away – but with the shop keeper being so doting and kind, Petra found her anger was unwittingly slipping through her fingers bit by bit until there was nothing left for her to hold onto.

"There's a black-tie dinner that she and I are attending tomorrow evening. She needs a dress." Levi supplemented easily, and as if on cue, the woman's eyes lit up and she turned toward Petra again, a sense of purpose now evident in her gaze as she looked the shorter woman over.

"An elegant dress? Well, you have come to the right place to be sure! We'll just go over here and-" the woman took a few steps toward the dresses that were displayed to one side of the store, both Petra and Levi following behind her, but then the woman paused intentionally, looking toward Levi with a reproving stare and stopping dead in her tracks.

She put her hands on her hips and shook her head as she watched him directly, "Oh no sir, not a step further from _you_. We will find your lovely bride a dress that's sure to make her the envy of the night, but not with you leering over her shoulder like this; you'll simply cause her to die of anxiety! Oh no no, you simply _have_ to go. Any special requests _while you're on your way out_? Color, specific fit or length perhaps that you'd fancy?"

Levi was taken aback, surprised that he was apparently being…dismissed? Was she serious? Was she actually going to make him _leave_ the store? Perhaps…she was just joking? After all he was a paying customer, so could she even do that? He coughed as he tried to find a proper response, "I uh, well..."

She watched the tongue-tied Captain and grinned all the more, "Ah yes, something that makes you speechless then, I understand."

There was a giggle from Petra and Levi's eyes narrowed, though the woman continued, "Truly Captain, and all with my upmost respect I assure you, but you'll only be in the way here. After all, you certainly don't strike me as the type who knows much about dresses or galas; and I doubt these types of things interest you." Levi merely stared at her in silence, and she continued gently, "Let us peruse, try a few things on, and we'll be all set in no time. How about you come back in an hour. I promise we'll have her perfect dress picked out by the time you get back, alright? Ta-ta, Captain!"

Levi sighed, knowing there was no real reason to fuss about it; even_ if_ being told to get lost did leave him feeling a little indignant. Still though, he supposed it didn't matter _how_ she got her dress, just as long as she_ had_ one by the time they left.

"Fine, I'll be back in an hour." He mumbled lowly, turning back toward the door and leaving the shop quietly.

For a long while he stood directly outside the store, leaning up against the wall and unintentionally listening in on their conversation. While at first Levi had been admittedly irritated, feeling somewhat snubbed at being dismissed by a_ civilian _of all things, after hearing things like _'What about this one?' 'Maybe a little off the bottom?' 'Do you have a specific color you prefer? Something red and eye catching perhaps?' 'I'm not sure about that one, satin is just a little too…blah in my experience and we want something that will really make you pop.'_ for what seemed like an eternity with no real end in sight, Levi became grateful that he didn't actually have to sit there while Petra was dress shopping, finding it to be _extremely_ boring. Even from _outside_ of the building, he was already over it.

He pushed off the wall and walked further into the town, looking from building to building as he walked with no real hurry or destination in mind. As he walked, he rolled his shoulders, bringing a hand to his neck and loosening his cravat so it wasn't as tight against his collar, tempted to remove it entirely so his skin could breathe a little. The long sleeve shirt and jacket combination of the Scout's uniform had been _somewhat_ tolerable during morning training when the air was cooler, but now that it was the peak of the afternoon, Levi was wishing he had thought to change into something a little more light before they had left the base because the layers were getting to be a bit much.

It was an uncharacteristically hot day considering it was only spring at best, and it wasn't long before Levi found himself moving out of the street and stepping into the town's bar. It's not that he necessarily felt like drinking, but something cold would help cut the heat, and at the very least he'd be out of direct sunlight while he waited for Petra to finish her _'perusing'_, as the shop keeper had put it.

He sat at the bar, choosing a seat as close to the edge of the room as possible, giving a slight head nod toward the bartender who issued him a casual greeting.

"Welcome - be with you in a minute."

Levi looked around the small area, noting there were already a handful of off duty Scouts that were here to relax, among other patrons that were unfamiliar to him. This _was _a rather popular establishment after all, so he wasn't surprised by how full the bar was at such an early hour in the day. Aside from the town's local residents that would frequent the establishment, considering it was the closest bar that the Scout's had access to, even Levi _himself_ had been here a handful of times over the years, well … he imagined that the bar owner was rather successful in his field to say the least.

"What can I get started for ya?"

"Whiskey on the rocks." He stated simply, and the bartender nodded, walking away and grabbing a glass, placing ice at the bottom and pouring in a honey colored liquor into the glass. The bartender gave him a nod and pushed the drink his direction, allowing the glass to slide the few feet across the bar top toward Levi who gave a nod of thanks as he stopped the glass once it reached him.

He brought it to his lips and took a small sip, blinking a few times as the liquor burned his throat and made his tongue pucker in immediate response to the drink's high alcohol content. It had been a long time since he had had a drink, and he had to work to control his facial reaction as he swallowed the fiery liquid.

As it traveled down his throat, the sensation changed from an all-out burning to a more warming sensation that spread across his chest pleasantly, the flavor also changing into something a little less offensive and a little more sweet; Levi now remembered why he favored whiskey over other popular liquors.

He took another sip, finding the burning didn't hit him as strongly the second time around, and he placed the glass back down on the bar top with a casual exhale.

Time passed by far too slowly for his liking, considering there really wasn't much to do but sit at the bar idly and wait for Petra to finish shopping. He watched as people would come and go, wondering how much longer until it would finally be his turn to leave the bar. His stay had been soured rather quickly, and as he sat there now, gripping his drink hard enough that it was just short of shattering in his hands, he found that he was _extremely_ upset. While he hadn't been trying to eavesdrop, it was impossible to not overhear people's conversations considering the bar was only so big, and what was more, it was impossible to not listen in once names were being dropped.

"So you saw that Petra girl?"

"Yeah, she was out by the stable with her horse just a little while ago."

"Still looking good?"

"You know it. She always does."

"Man, you've been watching her forever – why don't you just man up and make a move already?"

"Are you suggesting I take my life in my hands? You've heard, right? Dude, she married _Captain Levi_. She's off the market now, which totally sucks." It sounded as though the man had stopped talking to take a drink, and a thud could be heard as a glass was set back down on the table, "Damn, I really missed my chance on that one."

There was a scoff, "You _seriously_ believe that?"

"What's there to believe?" came the response, "She got married, that's a _fact_; I saw the ring myself when I walked by. From what I've heard she even took his name and everything."

"No, not that. She's _obviously_ married, but from what _I've _been told it's just because she got caught red handed with him so had to get married to save face. I'll bet she was just messing around to get a spot on that team of his – there's no way she's _actually_ in love with that guy; he's got no game and only attracts women because he's a dick and has a title – _Humanity's Strongest_ my ass. For your girl though, that's no sweat man, for real. If anything it just proves she's a rule breaker. She doesn't respect the hierarchy, had no problem sleeping her way to the top – do you really think she's the type of girl to respect the 'sanctity of marriage' or whatever? I'll bet she's been fucking numerous guys this whole time. I'll bet that _whole team_ has been with her _at least_ once. Think positive, you could be another one of those guys -_ if_ you ever get the balls to ask her out!"

"It's just…she always seems so, I don't know, innocent. You saying it's just an act?"

There was a long silence followed by a groan, "Don't tell me you really fall for that, that's just part of her game – it's how girls like her get what they want all the time. It's worth a try right? I mean, if she's good enough for Humanity's Strongest, hell, even _I_ might give it a shot one of these days. Hopefully she's not a bitch about rank though, it would be a problem if she only fucks Officers."

"You know what, you're right. I think I'll give it a go. I'll hit her up one of these days and see what happens!"

"See, now that's more like it. Mark my words, she'll get tired of that half-pint fuck sooner or later and then she's all yours."

From there, things had only continued to worsen. Once other Scout's had overheard bits and pieces of that same conversation, it sparked them to discuss their _own_ ideas about what actually happened, how long the two of them had been sleeping together, whether there was actually a baby involved or not, how Erwin must have chewed him out big time for messing up like that, how Petra _must_ have been a fire cracker in bed to snag Humanity's Strongest - but hey all men have needs right? - how sexy she was, how they hadn't even noticed her before the scandal, but after seeing her in person _wow they wanted a piece of that ass_, and whatever else the rumor mill had come up with to explain the circumstances behind their sudden marriage, as well as how desirable of a woman _Petra_ was and how_ he_ was the luckiest man on earth that a woman like her would_ ever_ be with someone like him – forced or otherwise.

Levi had heard only a few conversations like this since their marriage took place, but now that he was placed in a room where it was_ all_ people were talking about, his stomach was full on churning from the disgusting thoughts people harbored and _actually_ believed to be true about them. What they were saying about him _was _admittedly bad, but he had never once held a good reputation in his entire life, so it didn't bother him so much as he was rather used to people's mistrust and general dislike. Petra, however? Hearing people talk about her – the things she had _obviously_ done, and things people now apparently wanted to _do_ to her…Fuck, he was ready for heads to roll.

When the two original Scouts had left the bar, it had taken every ounce of soldier's discipline in his body to _not_ follow them out and show them exactly what he thought about their little _discussion_ that had sparked the countless other topics he had been forced to overhear for the past forty minutes.

He sighed, mentally reminding himself for the thousandth time that it wouldn't help anyone and would only cause the pot to stir all the more once word got back to the base about what happened here, because _of course _it would. He bitterly finished the rest of his drink, pulling a half-melted ice cube in his mouth and allowing it to melt further on his tongue as he continued to dwell on the matter.

He remembered Petra's previous words when he first told her about the event – how she would be hated by all the Commanding Officers and that she would have no way to escape their judgement just when things were_ finally _starting to get better - and he bitterly realized that her fears he had initially dismissed as being over dramatic, were in fact more than valid. What was worse, even knowing that, there still wasn't much he _could_ do. His version of justice had always been rather unorthodox, and he figured if anything, Petra wouldn't want him to make any sort of scene by way of response – no matter how deserved it may have been considering that getting out of the limelight had been her biggest concern at the time.

"Would you care for another sir? A beer perhaps?"

The bartender's sudden question grabbed his attention and Levi looked toward him in acknowledgement. He crushed the remnants of the ice cube between his teeth, swallowing the cool ice shards so he could respond properly. He shook his head and swallowed the last of the liquid away, clearing his throat to speak, "No, I'm finished here."

With any luck, he wouldn't be coming back here for a _long_ time.

The man nodded and read him his total, completely unaware of just how close he had been to having an all-out bar fight on his hands only a mere moment ago.

Knowing it wasn't worth it, knowing that Petra would not be pleased, knowing Erwin would undoubtedly berate him later should he create an incident, Levi stood up quietly and put his fisted hands into his pockets. Without looking to see which way the men had gone when they left, Levi gave a loud, slow exhale and headed back towards the shop.

When Levi first entered the store, the girls were still huddled in the corner, looking at the various fabrics of the dresses on display and talking about who knows what – he sighed as agitation continued building within him. The walk back hadn't done him any favors as he only continued to mull things over in his mind with nothing to distract him. He _really_ should have done something earlier. After all, people were _always_ going to talk about something – _maybe_ they could start talking about that one time that Captain Levi put two people in the hospital ward for a month straight after disrespecting his_ wife_, he thought bitterly with a scowl, deciding that _that_ was gossip he wouldn't mind hearing about. It would certainly be a nice change of pace at least and would certainly give Petra a break.

The men couldn't have gone far – logic dictated that they also had to get back to base before dinner and it was a hell of a walk, so they most likely were on their way to the town's stable to retrieve their horses. He wouldn't have to do anything drastic to get his point across, just an appropriate amount of pain to teach them some _respect_ and that would be that. If he hurried, he might even get there before them.

_He liked that idea very much._

Mind made up, he pushed the door back the other way, intent on leaving the store without alerting either of the women to his presence in the first place, though the sudden change of direction as he reopened the door caused the bell to tap against the door frame, it's telltale ring echoing across the shop walls in response.

"Oh Captain, you're back!"

"Hey Levi!"

His mouth fell open and he stayed rooted in his spot in disbelief, having forgotten about the godforsaken bell on the door. As he continued to stand there, wondering if he should just leave anyway and come back after he had taken care of business, Petra waved him over with wide eyes, "Come here, come here! Levi, you've just_ got_ to see this!"

He looked toward her, then back to the door, then back to Petra, who only waved more dramatically when he didn't immediately start walking toward her. Giving a quiet sigh and resisting the urge to slam the door shut behind him in protest, he begrudgingly moved toward his subordinate bitterly.

Lucky bastards had _no_ idea how damned fortunate they were.

"What?" he pressed out as he came closer to the pair, attempting to sound as calm as ever, though his muscles were still tense and coiled as unchecked anger pulsed through him in waves. Luckily, there was only a hint of an edge to his voice, and with Petra's overwhelming chipperness, she didn't even seem to notice.

She was holding onto the bottom of a large dress that was hung up against the wall for display, holding some of the dress's fabric in her hands, "This was her wedding dress! She made it herself, _by hand_! Look at the stitching, it's so tiny!" she pulled some of the fabric toward him, shoving the silky material a mere three inches in front of his face.

From one side, he heard the shop keeper laugh – he couldn't actually _see _her due to the fabric bunched up directly in front of him, "Now now Petra, you're making me blush!" she responded warmly, "While I don't feel this dress is my best work, after all I was just a girl back then and I've learned a thing or two since my wedding day, I suppose a girl will always have a special place for their wedding dress. I like to display it out here, to remind me of how far we've come since then. It keeps me humble."

Petra released her hold on the dress and let the fabric fall back in place before reaching higher and tracing some of the beaded work that adorned the bodice with her finger. Levi was just happy he could see again, finding he didn't give a damn about the stitching or whatever the hell it was that Petra was talking about, because his mind was still replaying all the ways he could still intercept the men from the bar. He could tell Petra he was going to get the horses and meet her here. Of course, they hadn't paid yet, but he could just leave her his wallet and let her check out on her own. Would that be too suspicious?

"It's so intricate. This really is beautiful." Petra continued looking at the dress with a dreamy smile, and Levi stole a glance back toward the door.

If they had already left the stable, on horseback it wouldn't take long for him to catch up with them. A two on one fight was nothing for him, and considering how shocked the men would be that, yes, he had overheard their disrespectful little conversation, he doubted they'd even have the mental awareness to properly defend themselves, let alone attack in return.

"Come now Petra, that dress is almost twenty years old now. It's hardly fashionable in today's world, and besides, I'll bet your dress was just as stunning if not more so on your wedding day."

Of course, he'd probably break a sweat and Petra would no doubt be suspicious about what had taken place, but he would just blame it on the heat of the day and throw his jacket over his shoulder, as though the heat_ really_ were to blame. Knowing Petra, she'd probably try to baby him – Humanity's Strongest- because things hadn't quite been the same between them ever since he had gotten sick, and she frequently fussed over him if she felt that he was overexerting himself.

Sometimes it was admittedly annoying, but other times, he almost found himself playing the moment up, because even if he hated to admit it, some part of him…_liked_ being the focus of her attention and worry. He'd rub his forehead and make a pained expression, and she'd rush over and place her hand on his back, her eyes wide with concern and she'd tell him that maybe he needed to sit down. His expression would shift into sudden amusement, and he'd take a deep breath, stand up more fully, then smirk and tell her she _really_ needed to stop babying him because he was perfectly fine. After realizing she had been fooled yet again, she'd watch him with a frazzled sort of frustration, and when he'd cross his arms and watch her smugly, she'd blush in embarrassment and apologize.

Petra's sudden laugh disrupted his thoughts, and the ginger looked toward the shop keeper with a knowing smirk, "My wedding dress?" She gave another laugh and shook her head, "No, I really don't think so."

The shop keeper frowned and looked toward the checkout counter, "No? Well at least this dress here is one that I _know_ you'll enjoy. And hey, as much as I love chatting, your husband's back and I'm sure you both have things to see to that don't involve spending your whole day here with me."

Petra gave an accepting sigh and dropped her hands back to her sides, taking one last look at the beautiful wedding dress before redirecting her attention to the shop keeper with a slight frown, "No, you're right. We need to get back to the base unfortunately. _Someone's _been watching the door like a hawk, so I think it's safe to wrap things up because Captain has a lot of responsibilities to see to back at the base."

"I can only imagine. You know one of these days, I'll have to introduce you to my husband! He's always been a big fan of the military, and I'm sure he'll be tickled pink to know that Captain Levi himself paid our humble store a visit. He's often out traveling and brokering new trade routes and deals, but who knows? One day you might get lucky!"

The two women continued chatting like they were old friends as they all made their way to the counter and Levi, irritated because he knew that his window of opportunity had closed, mechanically paid for the dress, not complaining or even _caring_ for that matter, when Petra insisted that he carry_ all_ the boxes back to the stable, explaining that if it weren't for him, there wouldn't be any boxes to begin with.

Petra had mainly just been joking of course, intending to poke fun and try to communicate in a light hearted way that it was cool, she had gotten over her frustration and would try to keep a positive attitude come the actual banquet tomorrow night, but the fact that he didn't even respond, just nodded mutely before stacking the boxes neatly in his arms, concerned her.

They walked through the streets and Petra watched him with ever growing worry, though Levi hardly noticed. There was a contemplative expression across his face, and every so often his lips would tighten into an all-out scowl, a tenseness to his steps as they moved through the streets in complete silence. Petra had tried to bring up some sort of conversation, starting with a few dresses that hadn't gone so well, explaining further that maybe she was putting on a little weight because some of the dresses were actually too tight on her – she figured Levi couldn't deny the opportunity to make fun of her - but again he hardly responded.

When they got to the stable, Petra was officially at a loss as he was even more tense than before, looking this way or that, and at this point he wasn't paying her any mind at all. His breathing was heightened, he was visibly _pissed_, yet even still he didn't say a word to her about it even though it was obvious that something was amiss. When they got to their horses and he busied himself with securing the boxes down so they wouldn't fly open or fall off during the ride back, Petra took an intentional step toward him, his strange behavior had more than put her on edge and even if he hadn't planned on saying anything, enough was enough.

She grabbed the ropes out of his hands and placed her own hands gently on both sides of his face and forced him to look at her directly, fingers tracing the edge of his jaw for a moment as she held his gaze in concern and watched him with intentional focus.

His eyes were instantly wide from the contact and he had actually_ jolted _as though she had taken him by surprise, clearly lost in whatever thoughts were running through his mind previously. She expected that he'd pull out of her hold with a scowl or perhaps take a step back and demand to know what in the hell she was doing, but…_he didn't_. Instead he merely stayed rooted in his place, watching her in silence with a strange expression.

He didn't try to move her hands away, and she didn't pull back in the slightest.

His eyes spoke of internal conflict, an unreadable myriad of things left unsaid, and he gave a long sigh, closing his eyes and... was he leaning _toward_ her now? The shift was subtle, but his head was tilted down toward her and he closed his eyes, giving a few deep breaths as though recollecting himself.

Petra's touch was soft, hesitant, as her thumb ran gently over his skin almost curiously. She was far too close, she realized as she watched him, the silence only extending all the more between them as her thumbs continued tracing across his skin absentmindedly. She could hear him breathe; he was standing only a few inches away - gods he was so handsome.

She bit her bottom lip pensively, losing some of her nerve as an uncertainty came over her in waves. She really thought that he would have pushed her away by now, but he hadn't, and it made her unsure of what to do. The way he was watching her, it was like he was looking for something within herself, and it left her feeling out of sorts – exposed to some extent because he had never _watched_ her like this before.

"Captain…is something wrong?" She let her hands slide down the contours of his face, down his neck, until they were resting over his shoulders. She chewed the inside of her lip and swallowed nervously, "You seem a little…upset."

"Look, you don't have to tell me," she began, looking down into the ground anxiously as a heat came to her face from the directness of his stare, "It's just, I hope you know that after all these years I can tell when something is bothering you and something clearly is, I just don't know what so I was hoping that you would tell me and then maybe it wouldn't bother you anymore because talking it out can really help sometimes and-"

Petra was mortified as she heard herself talking. Words just _kept_ spilling out of her mouth. For Maria's sake, she was only making it worse! _Anytime_ would be a great time to stop talking. _Anytime at all._

"-Because that's the great part of having friends you know, because then there are people there who understand you and you can talk and there's value in friendship-"

Yet even still, words just_ kept_ coming all the more. She was obviously rambling. What the hell was she even saying?

As she spoke who knows what, _finally _she paused midsentence as she smelled a sweet sort of something on his breath. Her expression changed as a familiarity came to her, and a slight cheeky sort of grin came over her face. Suspicion laced in her tone and she drummed her fingers against the surface of his jacket, quirking an eyebrow suspiciously, "Captain, were you drinking? Are you _drunk _right now?"

That would certainly explain a lot of things, Petra inwardly noted, and some of her previous nervousness washed away as a viable reason finally came to mind. Note to self, Levi was an _angry_ drunk.

Levi snorted at her 'observation', the idea of a single drink being enough to actually get him inebriated was _laughable_, even at a time like this. He crossed his arms and watched her flatly, "Hardly."

Petra smiled, feeling she was at least doing _something_ right if he was finally able to smirk at her like that. She wasn't sure what had happened, but she knew full well that he wouldn't tell her if he didn't want to – there was no point in trying to beat it out of him. He was far too stubborn and would just tell her to fuck off eventually.

She dropped her arms down to her sides, feeling slightly awkward as her fingers traveled down his tan jacket, not sure why she had opted to touch him at all now that she thought about it. A new subject was in order. She cleared her throat, "You know, now that I think about it, you're the only one on the squad that I've never had a drink with Captain. What's that all about?"

"I don't exactly drink all that often."

"Well it's open bar tomorrow right? Maybe it's time we change that."

"Scratch that." He amended simply, "I don't drink with _light weights_."

Petra's mouth fell open, and she gave him an offended, weak slap across his chest, "Hey! I am _not_ a light weight!"

Levi merely quirked and eyebrow and watched her, unconvinced. "Eld says otherwise."

Petra's eyes narrowed and she fell silent. Eld really _did_ have a big mouth.

She exhaled and looked back to the boxes Levi had been busy strapping down, "Well at least I will _look_ the part tomorrow. Took a bit, but we did find the right dress and I've got to say, she really knows her stuff in there. I know you didn't get to see it because it's all boxed up, but I really think you'll like it. It's actually quite stunning." She paused and changed her expression to be a little more playful, a sort of smolder in her gaze as she watched him with a mischievous sort of grin, "_Although_… tomorrow, we'll find out if it _actually_ renders Humanity's Strongest speechless or not."

She shot him a wink at the end for added effect, and Levi's mouth fell open for a fraction of a second, internally questioning if Petra was…fuck, was she _flirting_ with him?

Seeing his wide eyed, puzzled reaction and perceiving it as negative, Petra blushed all the more and sighed, looking at him sheepishly before giving a fake laugh as she nervously fiddled with the ends of her jacket self-consciously, "Man, I _really_ can't pull that off, can I? Gods it's a good thing I'm already married, I'm apparently hopeless at this sort of thing. I'll go and…get my horse now."

As she turned in dismay, Levi blinked a few times, realizing that there was a palpable nervousness that ran through him from Petra's beckoning wink and flirtatious attitude, his heart rate increasing as a direct result.

Couldn't pull it off? Hopeless?

Fucking hell, she couldn't have been more wrong.

As it turned out, she didn't even _need_ the dress to render him speechless.

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End of Chapter

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*eats slice of cake*

So, yall can't be too mad due to my societal upper hand of being birthday girl, but I'll give the light heads up that next week is a relatively short chapter, so that's a big reason as to why. Some chapters have been crazy long, so it all evens out I'd like to think.

Either way, let me know your thoughts and comments, perhaps any predictions as to how the party might go? I will say, I had my resources brain storming with me a long time to get the party just right. I hope it impresses you all! Anyhow, hope yall have an awesome week, and I'll see yall, business per usual, next_ Sunday!_

~ Midnight the officially one year wiser, version 2.0


	16. The One Where Petra needs Help

Hey Squad!

I'm happy to say that after a bit of review and finding where this chapter could be enhanced a little, it's not so short after all and is actually the same length of standard chapter - now that the edits are all said and done at least. Good thing too, because now that it's extended and written out a bit more fully, I couldn't imagine it any other way! Hurray for my being insecure about a short chapter haha.

Yall enjoy the read! (A full length chapter read, I might reiterate!)(P.S - was anyone even worried about this besides me? No one? Okay. Thought so haha.)

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There was a knock at her door and Petra looked up from the mirror in her room and called out, "Uh, just a sec!"

She turned her head to one side and carefully placed the back of her earring on and took a breath of preparation. She took a few steps back so she could see a full body reflection of herself, and she turned this way and that, admittedly nervous as she appraised her appearance.

A nervousness continued to build in her stomach as she looked herself over in hopes that she would be able to stand beside Humanity's Strongest as his wife – look like she actually _belonged_ there instead of a cowardly plus one. As much as she wished they wouldn't, she knew that with all the rumors going around, Officers and other attendants would be giving them a lot of unwanted attention, so at the very least, she wanted to look her best and come across as _somewhat_ confident. Still though, she hardly ever dressed up, if ever, around her team, _especially not Levi_, and this wasn't just any event or any old dress. When she had described the type of event they were going to, the kind shop keeper had gone all out to ensure that she found the perfect dress for such an occasion, and Petra couldn't help but feel the woman had_ more _than delivered.

She turned in the mirror again, focusing on her dress with a critical eye.

The dress really was stunning; she hoped Levi thought so too.

It was burgundy in color, a deep sort of maroon shade. While Petra had been nervous about the color at first considering she had never felt all that confident wearing reds, she found that the darkness of the shade made it a little more subtle and she was pleasantly surprised at just how well the deep and rich color complimented her complexion.

As for the dress itself, it was strapless with a fitted top that highlighted her feminine curves, the faintest amount of cleavage peeking out from the top of the bodice. While she wasn't used to wearing, well, _anything_ that showed off her body, it was just subtle enough that she still felt comfortable and didn't feel the need to grab a shawl or some other form of a cover up.

While the dress was considerably form fitting, the fabric loosened and began to splay out around her just below her knees; a sort of mermaid style dress as the shop keeper had explained, that made the dress a little more elegant than a traditional cocktail style dress. Thankfully, there was a convenient slit at the very front that went just past her knees, making it so it was still fairly easy to walk around in, even with all the extra fabric that pooled at her feet.

While Petra had loved the dress from the moment she had put it on and thought it was absolutely perfect, the shop keeper had been insistent that it wasn't _enough_ to have a nice dress – no, she needed accessories that would complement the dress to _really_ pull it off. First was a wide, white laced choker that the shop keeper had refused to charge them for in the end, stating that it really was the perfect complement to her dress and so they could consider it a wedding present; she had missed the big day, after all. The choker was elegant and held a single pearl in the middle, resting on her neck in such a way that it seemed to lengthen her neck. To match, she had a pair of dangly pearl earrings that gave a sort of soft glow when they caught the light just right.

Next, she adorned a pair of elbow length white gloves that gave the dress a further sense of heightened elegance, and finally, the shop keeper had selected a specific pair of strappy white heels that crisscrossed over her foot in a way that looked extremely complicated and artistic. Each time she walked, the fabric of her dress would sway to one side and show off her footwear, so the shoes apparently had to be _perfect_ as a statement piece.

To fully complete the look, Petra had taken the time to do her makeup, eyes lined and lips a dark red. Her hair was twisted up into a tight, spiral sort of bun, and her swept bangs were pinned to one side to compliment the clean up-do.

She gave an exhale as she reviewed her reflection one last time.

She was as ready as she would ever be, and she knew that the knock on the door was undoubtedly Levi. Petra chewed at the inside of her lip nervously, pulling her arms behind her back one more time and praying she could just maybe get the right angle – she searched for that small bit of metal desperately, but never felt it tap against her fingertips.

There was another knock that broke her focus, "Petra, everything okay in there?"

"Everything's fine Captain." Her voice was audibly strained as she continued to reach around her back, and as she turned this way and that, her dress slipped down from off the front of her body, cold air hitting her suddenly bare skin as a result. She gave a yelp and caught the fabric before it _completely_ fell to the ground, muttering a curse under her breath.

"...You sure?"

"It's fine!" she repeated stubbornly, arching her back and all but turning around in a full circle as she tried to get the right angle one last time.

It _was_ fine…except for the fact that she couldn't find the damned_ zipper_ for the life of her. She could see it if she craned her neck and used the mirror, but each time she tried to grab it from behind her, she couldn't angle her arm just right and -

"Well when you're done stating that everything's fine, can you come out here?" Levi's voice came from outside her room, irritation already present in his tone, "We need to get going."

She gave an exhale and glared toward the door in annoyance, knowing that he would just get more and more impatient the longer she kept him waiting. She groaned loudly, holding the dress tight to her chest as she stormed toward the door, using one arm to hold the fabric up in place and the other to grab the door handle. She pulled the door open only a few inches, leaning into the open crack and watching as Levi also leaned toward the open section of the door. There was a clearly perturbed expression on his face after realizing that Petra wasn't opening the door properly for him, but simultaneously had no intention of_ exiting _her room either.

"Aren't you ready yet?" he asked in obvious irritation, and Petra sighed as she took a small step back, still not giving Levi enough room to actually enter her room or even get a good view to see what the apparent trouble was.

Petra could feel that she was already blushing, and she took a breath as she watched him with narrowed eyes. She spoke in a tense, quiet whisper, because her room was only just down the hall from the guys and she didn't want them overhearing her. "No, no I'm ready I just…can you zip me up?"

Levi merely blinked, "…What?"

"My _dress_." she repeated tensely, continuing to whisper in frustration and stealing a glance toward her squad mate's door in concern, "I can't reach the zipper, it's like in the middle of my back and when I reach around I just - look, can you just come in and zip it up for me?"

Levi contemplated her question in admitted surprise, some initial part of him wanting to say no because it felt a little too personal and something that a Captain had no business doing, but after realizing that the alternative was just her disappearing back into her room for who knows how long as she attempted to zip it herself, he eventually sighed, "…Fine."

She stepped back further into her room with an embarrassed, albeit curt, thank you, allowing Levi to follow in behind her. He hadn't really been able to see Petra or her dress considering the mere two inches of the cracked door she had peered through earlier, and by the time he had entered the room and closed the door behind himself in attempts to be discreet, Petra was already turned away from him so he could zip up her dress.

As he turned around toward her, his mouth parted in surprise at the expanse of her bare back presented to him and he mentally groaned, noting against his will that this undoubtedly answered the question of if she was wearing a bra or not.

He chose to ignore his thoughts, putting a dead halt to_ that _line of thinking, and scanned the garment for wherever it was that the zipper started, noting that it was placed around the small of her back. He carefully grabbed one side of the fabric up against her skin where he imagined it was meant to rest, holding it in place while he used his other free hand to pull the zipper upward, being extremely careful to not touch her skin in the process because something about touching her bare skin felt forbidden to him, and as it stood now, things had already been rather questionable between them as of late.

A light metallic zip sounded across the room and Petra gave a sigh of relief, feeling the dress pressed securely against her skin and she finally felt comfortable enough to release her arms down by her sides, without the fear of flashing her Captain. She turned around slowly, looking toward him shyly so she could show off her dress. She shrugged sheepishly as she spoke, "Well Captain, how do I-"

She stopped talking midsentence as she turned and actually caught a glimpse of _him_, blinking in surprise as her thoughts redirected at once, "Oh wow Captain, you look great! I don't think I've ever actually seen you dressed up for these events before; you look really sharp."

And he certainly did.

He wore a black tailored suit with a red hankie peeking out from the breast pocket of his jacket. Beneath his suit jacket, a matching red dress shirt could be seen; the contrast between the red shirt and the black suit extremely eye catching. Petra hadn't thought it was possible, but Levi appeared even more dignified and untouchable when compared to the normal uniform she always saw him in, which really was saying something considering he_ always_ looked professional.

It was due to Petra's excitement as she looked over the fitted angles of his jacket, brushing her thumb against one of his shoulders and commenting about how dense the fabric was, giggling because _of course_ he was wearing a cravat instead of a tie, that she missed his_ actual _response to seeing her.

She missed when his eyes trailed down her form, noting the way the dress hugged her feminine figure, his gaze lingering in some spots a little _too_ long to just be casual observation, before trailing back up and doing the same once again, his lips parted slightly from pure awe at his stunning subordinate because as many years as he had known her, from being a spritely cadet to the woman she was now – she had never looked so...

He fumbled to mentally categorize what he saw, because he hadn't expected her to look like _this_.

He_ had_ expected her to look nice of course - he wouldn't deny that she was a beautiful woman so he had been looking forward to seeing what all her talk yesterday had amounted to - but he had been expecting a sort of ballgown that was full of layers of fabric and petticoats and needless ribbons and _hassle_. He wasn't expecting something so…fuck, he didn't even _know_ the words for what he saw. At the very least, he could honestly admit that he hadn't been expecting something like_ that_. The dress was elegant to be sure, but it was still… appealing. _Very_ appealing.

No, he mentally corrected himself as his eyes trailed down her form languidly, down the planes of her neck, the raise of her chest and the swell of her hips - it wasn't the_ dress_ at all, it was the person _inside_ the dress that caused his eyes to wander.

It was Petra herself.

It was after she had finished her assessment of his attire that Petra finally noticed Levi's_ intense_ stare. It didn't escape her notice that his gaze was currently south of her eyes and she bit her bottom lip nervously at the implications that came with his wandering gaze, clearing her throat and trying to ignore the butterflies that were building in her stomach from his heavy stare that lingered across her body, "So…what do you think?" she decided to play it off and pretend she hadn't noticed, giving a small turn with her arms outstretched, her heels tapping against the floor with a sort of clang as she walked – a very different noise than what their boots traditionally made.

"You look…_good_." Levi mumbled lowly as he looked up at her, and Petra found she couldn't meet his gaze directly, feeling her face heat up from the weight of his stare. Even with how difficult he was for her to read; it was obvious that he _more_ than approved her current appearance; even now he couldn't stop staring at her as his eyes bored into hers with a sort of wonder and unspoken something between them. There was a palpable tension in the room, a building sort of something that was pushing just a casual conversation between a Captain and his subordinate. This was turning into…something else, and Petra knew it was time to lighten the conversation matter.

"Damn it all - _Good_, you say? If you recall, we were going for _speechless _here." She gave a small forced laugh, trying to diffuse the suddenly tense atmosphere before they moved down a direction neither of them wanted to go. She took a step toward him and let out an exhale, forcefully calming her nerves and reminding herself that the tension in the room – the sparks and excitement - it was just because they were dressed up, their emotions were flustered from being forced into an awkward situation like this – that was obviously all it was.

Nothing but circumstance.

She shook her head as she looked at him again, now _legitimately_ amused by their choice of formal attire, finding it ironic at best, "I didn't know you were going with red. How funny; we almost match."

As she neared him, Levi got a suddenly worried expression across his face, then looked down to the ground and up toward her just as quickly, a shadow of irritation suddenly present in his gaze as his mouth fell open in accusation, "You're wearing _heels?_"

Petra also looked down to her feet, setting one foot out in front of her to show off the eccentric shoes that the shop keeper had so painstakingly selected for her, "Well, yeah. With a dress like this, it kind of demands it or the dress would drag against the ground and get ruined. Why? Is that a problem?"

Levi shook his head and stared at her in obvious offense, "It's not a _problem_, I'm just used to you being shorter than me. It's annoying."

"Wait. It's annoying that I'm _taller_ than you?" Petra had to bite back a laugh, a smirk pulling at her lips at his explanation, although the laughter she tried to contain only came spilling out in the next breath, "Honestly Captain, one would think that you would be _used_ to that by now!"

Levi's expression darkened and he rolled his eyes, "Look, we're going to be late. Can we go now, or are you still not finished pointing out that I'm short?"

Petra scoffed at his behavior, laughing lightly and only amused by his childish anger rather than intimidated or off put, "Damn, learn to take a joke Captain. Look, if it makes you feel better, in a few hours I'll take these heels off and I'll be shorter than you again, like I've _always_ been. I can even throw them _away_ if they bother you that much, I doubt I'll ever need them again."

At her offer, Levi looked down at her shoes, noting how they crossed delicately across her feet, the length it added to her legs and the way it lifted her form and tightened her calves and her - He cleared his throat and blinked the resulting thoughts away, moving toward the door and mumbling lightly, "…That won't be necessary."

Petra exhaled at his retreat and held her hands up in defeat, following after him toward the door with a light smirk and mumbling, "Whatever you say, Captain."

The moment they walked out into the hall, Petra had paused to close the door behind her, and a whistle grabbed her attention.

"Well I'll be…" Eld's voice rang out across the hall, and Petra groaned. Before she could even turn around and shoot him a warning glance or tell him to keep his mouth shut, Eld was already shouting into the dorm room behind him, "Guys, come out here and take a look at Petra and the Captain! My, oh my, don't the Ackermans just look charming today?"

Petra shot up and turned around in alarm, already shaking her head no as Eld grinned at her smugly, and Gunther's voice was heard from inside the room along with some slight shuffling, "Oh, are they headed out to the banquet?"

"I'll bet they look-" came Oluo's smug voice next, obviously on the verge of saying some sort of insult, but as they both came out into the hall, Oluo's mouth fell open, "Holy shit, _Petra_."

"Wow." Was all Gunther said, and Petra self-consciously chewed her bottom lip as her team watched her with wide eyes, save for Eld who was merely smirking, and she moved a piece of hair that _wasn't there_, out of her face nervously as her squad stared at her outright. She would have thought they would have looked between both her and the Captain, but it seemed they hardly spared him a passing glance, even though he was just as dressed up. As it stood now, all eyes were on her, and she wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing.

As the silence extended, Petra felt the need to say something and she looked into the ground sheepishly, "Captain got everything. I just…don't want to look silly, you know? Everyone there will be a higher rank than me, and all things considered I don't think I'll have too many friends tonight so…I was thinking that if I dressed up like this, I'd have a better shot of blending in with everyone."

Gunther gave a slow nod of his head as he watched her incredulously, "You think you're going to _blend in_, looking like that?"

Petra looked up from the ground with wide eyes, and she heard Levi groan from beside her, "Like…_that_? Wait, what, do I look _bad_ or something?"

Eld gave a sort of snort and Petra watched her squad impatiently, because she wasn't sure what they were implying. She had thought that she looked rather nice, but she couldn't pretend she was a seasoned debutante or that she had an outstanding sense of fashion. Perhaps she had missed something? Maybe she didn't look_ half_ as put together as she had thought, and her squad was politely trying to save her from the embarrassment. If that was the case then - "What – what's so funny? Guys, if I look silly you have to say something! By the time we get there it will be too late!"

Before someone else could respond that that wasn't the problem – she looked amazing and would surely catch the eye of every person in attendance looking the way she did - Eld quirked an eyebrow and nodded toward the Captain simply, a smirk on his lips when Levi's eyes narrowed in warning, "Well I mean, who cares what _we_ think – what did_ Levi_ say when he saw you?"

At his question, both Levi and Petra fell suspiciously quiet, and Eld grinned smugly as Levi's gaze only narrowed all the more because Eld was a cunning man, and while _Petra _would be none the wiser, he didn't need Eld manipulating the situation and making it any more uncomfortable than it already was.

It wasn't his fucking choice to take her along, Erwin had ordered him to, and what was more – he himself hadn't known she would be dressing like this either. It had_ all_ been out of his hands, so that arrogant smug fucker could at least _try_ to be a little more subtle with his teasing before Petra found out and freaked out at his implications.

Before the silence could draw out further, Oluo spoke up, "I don't know Petra, maybe you should-"

He took a few steps toward her and Petra blinked as Oluo observed her in obvious concern, "Should what?"

He tried to find his words as he looked her over, a blush coming to his face as her wide green eyes locked onto his and made his thoughts muddy, "Maybe, I don't know…"

"What? Do you think I look bad or something?"

"No, it's just…don't you feel," he looked down at the way the dress hugged her figure, and swallowed thickly as he tried to _not _stare at the expanse of her chest that peeked out from the dress' bodice, "I don't know, maybe you should grab…a jacket or something?"

"A _jacket_?"

Eld groaned, already seeing where this was going and irritated that Oluo could be such an ass, "No."

Petra looked between the two men in confusion, "Why a jacket?"

"She might get cold." Oluo reasoned simply with a wave of his hand, and Eld scoffed.

"She won't get cold." Eld retorted bitterly, giving Oluo a knowing stare and shaking his head in irritation because of all the times to suddenly get protective of Petra, it seemed safe to say that he had missed his chance, so at a time like this, his concern was just silly.

"I _do _get cold pretty easily..." Petra whispered to herself, and Oluo smiled triumphantly.

"See? She _needs_ a jacket."

"It's not a bad idea actually." Petra mumbled out loud and Eld shook his head, about to respond but losing his chance.

Before he _could_ speak further, Levi had grabbed her arm and exhaled tensely – also well aware of the nature of Oluo's suggestion and irritated that Petra could be so dense. Between Oluo and Eld, he was getting a damned migraine. "Enough Petra, I already told you that we're going to be late. You look fine. Let's go."

He attempted to pull her beside him so they could start walking toward the lobby, but she merely pulled back and looked toward her room in indecision, "But Captain, what if I get cold?"

He rolled his eyes and shot Oluo a glare, blaming him for their current setback. He exhaled through his nose and watched Oluo pointedly with a raised brow, "Then you can wear _my_ jacket."

Petra paused at his words and looked toward him directly, a blush rising to her face at the notion of wearing the Captain's jacket for the night. Levi looked around the room firmly and glared at his squad in irritation, "Will that _work_ for everyone or should I grab a fucking blanket as well? Maybe a tent, in case the building collapses?"

Eld merely laughed when Petra shook her head silently, still blushing, and he turned his attention back to Levi, who appeared less than impressed with his squad as a whole. He shrugged passively, "Well Petra, I guess you'll have to stick real close to Levi all night, huh? Wouldn't want you to get cold after all." he paused and gave a chuckle, nodding toward Levi knowingly, "Not that you can complain about that, right Captain? A pretty girl like Petra spending the night with you – are you looking forward to that?"

Levi quirked an eyebrow at the unnecessary innuendos and pressed his lips together flatly, "Fuck off, Eld."

Eld merely chuckled again as the pair disappeared down the hall, and from behind him, he heard Gunther mumble toward Oluo, "Seriously man, a jacket?"

"Shut up."

"Dude, she's fucking married now, get_ over_ it."

"This has nothing to do with that," Oluo defended sharply, the direction of his voice changing as he looked to where Petra and Levi had retreated, "I'm just saying, what if she grabs someone _else's_ attention there? With her looking like that I mean, you've all heard the rumors, and even if we know better, other people may think that they're true so…I'm concerned. Someone might try to pick her up or something."

At Oluo's comment, Eld turned over his shoulder and grinned, "Well Maria help the bastard that tries, cause something tells me Levi's not going to let her out of his sight." He nodded toward the door intentionally, "Either way though, it's out of our hands. Let's clean up from dinner and get to bed. Whatever happens, Levi's there, so she'll be fine."

Gunther gave a nod and moved back into the room, and as Oluo continued to watch down the empty hallway in concern, Eld sighed, placing a hand on his squad mate's shoulder and giving him a serious look, "Oluo. She's with her _husband_, our Captain, who not so coincidentally is also Humanity's Strongest. Pretty sure that if…_any_ man, tries to pursue her now, Levi will _personally _ensure that that man's efforts are put to a rather miserable and painful end. I'd pity the fool who tried to win her over at this point. Remember that."

"Yeah, yeah."

…

* * *

...

It wasn't much later that they were walking across the grounds toward the building the event was being hosted in, and finally a more casual atmosphere had fallen over them, the previous tension caused by the odd line up of events behind them at last. Petra had asked Levi what to expect at the event, and he was confirming his experiences over the last handful of years in attempts to prepare her for the evening.

"It's probably exactly what you would expect it to be. A big gathering with a lot of food, a lot of people trying to one up each other with their accomplishments, people trying to network or run damage control, people getting wasted at the bar, others spend the whole night trying to land a hook up – we do that all night, and then we leave, and do it all over again in a year. It 'builds morale' apparently."

As he spoke, Petra watched him intentionally, but not because she was engaged in the conversation, no, she was taking a moment to intentionally _observe_ him - the way he looked, the way he talked, the smoothness of his voice, the way he walked and his proud posture – as Levi spoke he caught on to Petra's obvious staring because it was impossible _not_ to. She wasn't even attempting to hide it in the slightest.

He finished speaking and looked toward her with a raised eyebrow, giving her a warning glance of sorts, though said nothing and looked back to the path hoping she would take the hint and keep her eyes to herself. When that _still _didn't work and Petra only continued watching him with her hawk like gaze, he exhaled through his nose, "If you don't watch where you're going it'll be your own damn fault when those shoes hit a rock and you break an ankle as a result. Whatever it is you're doing, _stop_."

Petra laughed and finally stopped watching him so closely, turning her attention back onto the dirt path and giving a contented sigh, looking up into the sky as she spoke, "I'm sorry Captain, I was just…looking at you." She admitted evenly, and Levi scoffed.

"Obviously."

Petra smiled to herself again, admittedly pleased with her findings. "I just wanted to take a moment to _really_ look at you. I mean, I see you all the time of course, but we are all just so busy with life and what needs to get done and I don't know if I've ever like, really stopped to observe you before. For real Captain, you actually look really nice."

He looked toward her suspiciously, eyeing her sort of knowing smile narrowly, a sort of nervousness setting in his stomach as a result. It wasn't that he was actually nervous per say, but Petra outright staring at him for a straight two minutes was unnerving in its own way, especially with how _she_ looked, and it set him on edge as he couldn't help but wonder what his subordinate was up to now. He tilted his head and shrugged, not wanting to dwell on the matter as it was easier just not knowing. "Well, this _is _a nice suit."

Petra shook her head reprovingly and tried again, only smiling all the more as she watched him for a response, finding his discomfort to be admittedly…cute. She beamed at him, "No, it's more than that. I meant you. _You_ are actually… a _really_ handsome guy, Captain."

Levi's brows pulled down at her words, admittedly perplexed even_ further_ from Petra's bold declaration. He looked toward her slowly, his expression reading something along the lines of 'Have you lost your mind?' because things had gone from casual to awkward in two seconds flat and he wasn't sure how he was supposed to respond.

She groaned and gave a light punch to his shoulder, giving a small laugh at the outright confusion displayed across his face, "Oh come on Levi, don't make it weird - I'm just trying to pay you an honest compliment. I think you're actually really attractive - for real."

This time Levi had actually _coughed_ and looked back toward the path with still wide eyes, feeling unsure about how he should handle the strange and rather _personal_ conversation that Petra was stubbornly _insisting _that she have with him. Try as she may, her attempts to convince him that it was just another run of the mill conversation, like they talked like this every day, wasn't fooling him. He put his hands into his pockets, officially uncomfortable and scoffing at her casual tone, "Don't make it weird? _Of course_ it's weird; I'm your Commanding Officer. There's no way you have this sort of conversation with people on a regular basis."

She merely laughed at his embarrassed reaction and looked back to the path ahead. She supposed it only made sense as Levi didn't exactly have people who needed to discuss his appearance of all things, so she could only imagine how unsettling her words were to him. She shrugged simply, "Well I hate to burst your bubble Captain, but I kind of _do_. I've told Eld on numerous occasions that I think he's insanely handsome. I've also told Gunther that he's considerably attractive as well. It's no big deal because they know that I mean it as a friend, and what's more, it's nice to hear a compliment from time to time, you know? We really only see each other day after day and simple as it is, those things matter to people. It's nice to be told something like that from time to time." She paused for a long moment, her voice less chipper, "But…I haven't said anything of the sort to Oluo, for obvious reasons."

Levi rolled his eyes, "Well, obviously."

Petra smiled warmly at the bitterness in his tone and decided to let the conversation come to a close, "Sorry, I'm not trying to put you on the spot or anything; I just thought you should know. As much of a loner as you are, you really could stand to take a compliment from time to time. You look nice today, and you're a handsome guy. That's _all_ I'm saying."

Petra mercifully fell silent after that, seeming to be satisfied with her attempts to make him uncomfortable because she had more than succeeded.

Levi gave an exhale, refusing to look back at her or to acknowledge her statement one way or another, even though her words continued to play through his head numerous times over. A few minutes of silence went by, a sort of comfort and familiarity returning between them as the conversation became a thing of the past, and finally, Levi shook his head in defeated amusement, because…_only Petra_.

...

* * *

End of Chapter

* * *

...

And that will do for this week's update.

So confession time, but that this past month I've actually had a rather difficult time writing up new content – work's been really busy lately, so it's been keeping my free time at a minimum meaning my writing output has decreased as a result – but this past week I was _finally_ able to get some new developments on the page so that is so encouraging to me. I'm working on Chapter 35ish? Somewhere around there? Either way, good stuff guys! I'm still going strong and just as passionate about this story now as the day I started writing it to begin with.

For those who may need it this week, a friendly reminder to keep your eye on the ball and work to crush your goals with one intentional step at a time. Take it easy when you have to, but don't hesitate to step back up to the plate and get it done. You'll get there! As always, have a fantastic week, let me know your thoughts in the comments, and I'll see you all next Sunday! Cheers, yall!

~Midnight


	17. The One Where Petra is Bombarded

Hey yall!

Hope this day finds you well and good health. As for me, I just rolled out of bed so I'm utterly exhausted. Gonna make myself some coffee, comb though this chapter one more time for those last minute updates, and send it out into the world for your approval.

I know last week I talked about how it had been difficult for me to get new material written up as I've been more busy as of late, but this week I really turned that around and finished off a rather _large_ arc that's been giving me a bit of trouble. So super encouraging!

Enjoy the read and happy, happy Sunday!

...

* * *

...

When they finally arrived at the party, Petra was considerably less excited, some of her previous positivity dying down now that she was finally here and the event was in full swing. The room was absolutely packed with Officers from all the different factions, and while Petra was normally excited by the concept of a large gathering or a big to do like this, she was dreading how the night might turn out with all its uncertainties.

Considering the Scouts were hosting the event this year, it was being held within the large mess hall. All the tables had been moved, decorations had been put up, and if Petra hadn't known better, she might have actually thought she was in a different place entirely – the room appeared to be much larger than she had initially thought it to be.

To one side of the room was a large amount of food set out buffet style, a different area had tables and chairs with elegant table cloths that touched the floor with glowing candles in the center, the line of windows against the back wall where food was normally served had been replaced by a sort of bar, there was an empty space for dancing and a live band that was playing soft music – Petra looked toward Levi as they walked in the room, surprised by how formal the event actually was. Thank heaven she had chosen to dress this way – anything less and she was certain she truly_ would _have been under dressed after all.

Levi caught her stare and watched her flatly as she continued to survey the area with wide eyes, "What?"

Petra motioned around the room with her expression, "This is…crazy. I _still_ need a raise, but after seeing this I'm pretty sure that I just need an all-out promotion. This is a lot bigger than you made it sound you know. It's crazy to me that someone actually _pays_ this much money so people can just goof off for a night, even if you_ are_ all Officers."

Levi shook his head as they walked into the room, moving to one side so they weren't stationed in the doorway. "Don't let the ambiance fool you. On some level this _is_ meant to be just a simple party, but there's a lot more that's happening beneath the surface. _A lot_ of deals get made here, it's pretty important."

He motioned with his head, directing her attention across the room as he explained what was really happening behind the scenes, "Right now people are already jockeying for positions, trying to land trade deals, bribery certainly isn't unheard of from time to time – sometimes it's people hoping to persuade trainers to speak better of their faction so new recruits join their ranks instead, but that all depends. You can only imagine how much Erwin and Hanji dread this event, yet nonetheless they have their roles to play to help the Scouts remain in favor with all the right people. There are Officers and Judges here with authority that they'll only rub shoulders with a small handful of times each year, so how their time is spent here is strategic."

As she looked around the room and followed Levi's gaze with her own, Petra could start to see what Levi was talking about. There were people doing traditional party activities, drinking, dancing – but the room was absolutely lined with people that were wearing gravely serious expressions. Some would get flashes of anger or sadness across their face, other times a handshake was exchanged – Petra watched as a beautiful woman laughed far too loudly and intentionally pressed herself suggestively against the male she was with, whispering who knows what into his ear and grinning devilishly when the man gave a simple nod.

Petra made a face, "Sounds like a lot of ass kissing."

"It can be." Levi agreed without hesitation, "Other times its strong arming someone into a corner, offering a tainted deal, outright black mail – different strokes for different folks, right? At the end of the day, there's only so many resources to go around and a lot of them get unofficially divvied up here under the guise of a simple party where things can happen under the table without raising eyebrows."

Petra looked around once more then looked back toward Levi curiously, "Do people often come up to you for anything? Try to strike a deal or whatever?"

He considered her question, "Sometimes. Usually it's just newly promoted officers who are trying to brand themselves and network, nothing underhanded or shocking for the most part with them. They'll find practically any excuse to talk to me, ask for tips or maybe a specialized training session for their team, that sort of thing. Tenured Officers have learned that I don't exactly enjoy spending my time training up those without talent and for the most part tend to steer clear."

Petra nodded mutely, somewhat at a loss after getting a more inside look at the darker world of the higher ups- something that didn't really come as a surprise to her - and Levi exhaled lightly, "While it's good to know on the backend, you really won't have to worry about those things. In terms of our evening, we just have to be here, pass the time, and go home. Realistically, I'll probably have a few things to address, people that Hanji or Erwin will want me to talk to, but those are traditionally private conversations that won't involve you."

Before their conversation could continue any further, their names were called out and Petra looked up, seeing that Hanji and Erwin were headed their direction, walking casually toward them and weaving through the tables and chairs as they made their way across the room.

Hanji was wearing a green cocktail dress that went to her knees, her hair not up in its usual ponytail but rather pooling down to the middle of her back. Petra hadn't known that her hair was so long. She found that it actually complimented the Scientist quite well, giving Hanji a sort of elegance as she walked, the air causing her hair to wave behind her slightly from the movement. Beside her was Erwin, who really stood out, to such an extent that Petra was surprised she hadn't seen him earlier. He wore a completely white suit that was complimented by a green vest and tie that peaked out through the jacket. Petra wasn't sure if the Section Leader and Commander had intentionally matched or not considering they were both wearing matching shades of green, but it didn't matter one way or another; they both looked striking.

"So glad you made it!" Hanji greeted as she stopped just in front of them, giving a large smile as she looked between Levi and Petra. She gave a sort of smirk and pointed to Levi, speaking in a fake whisper that was still meant to be heard by the entire group, "Usually Levi is just so stuffy and dull for these things; perhaps tonight he'll actually have a good time now that he has a proper date."

Petra gave a sort of snort and Levi rolled his eyes, though he remained silent even after Hanji's accusation. Petra was fairly certain that her being there would only make things more stressful and hectic for him as he undoubtedly had enough responsibilities to care for without the added hassle of his 'wife' attending the event alongside him. Nonetheless, a small part of her secretly hoped that maybe he _would_ have a good time. It wasn't often they got to kick back and relax, so even if there was a lot that was happening under the surface that involved him, that didn't mean they couldn't enjoy the night, right? At the very least he worked hard enough, he _should_ get to enjoy the evening and relax a little.

She looked at Hanji and nodded at her and the Commander with a smile, "You guys both look really great. Hanji I'm pretty sure I've never seen you in a dress before, and I've gotta say, white really does suit you Commander. You look so handsome!" Levi scoffed from beside her, being reminded of her comment that she did in fact compliment people on their appearance regularly, though she ignored his negative response and continued watching her superiors with a kind smile, "You both clean up well!"

"The same could be said of you. You certainly look lovely Mrs. Ackerman." Erwin smiled warmly, and Petra blushed as a smile came to her face, a sort of mumbled 'Thank you' coming out from her in an inaudible squeak.

Hanji giggled at this interaction, turning out slightly and making a point of looking around the large room, "You know Petra, come to think of it, this is your first Officer's banquet isn't it? What do you think? There's certainly a lot to do around here; things to see, people to talk with - how about you go to the bar and get a drink? You know, unwind a little? Heaven knows how hard it must be to work with Levi day in and out, I'm sure you could use the break."

Petra wasn't fooled by Hanji's sugary words and gave her a reproving sort of smile. She shook her head knowingly, "Hanji, if you need me to go away, you can just say so. Levi already explained that you guys would probably have business to see to, so its fine."

Hanji blinked at Petra's forwardness and a sort of surprise fell over her face. She nodded and adjusted her glasses before giving a smirk, "No fooling you is there. Well in that case, go away please. We need to borrow your husband for a little while, make our rounds, first impressions, that sort of thing."

Levi crossed his arms and looked toward Hanji and Erwin in irritation, "Seriously four eyes? We just got here. You can't even wait ten minutes before dragging me around? Who the fuck is so important that we have to address them so early in the night?"

Erwin's eyebrows rose and he smiled then - a sort of dark, twisted expression that was so very _unlike_ the Erwin that Petra had seen over the years. His voice was quiet but practically dripping with a sort of sadistic anticipation, "Early bird gets the worm Levi, and I want to strike hard before anyone else has the chance."

Petra felt a chill run down her spine at the practical purr in the Commander's voice and inwardly noted that whoever it was that they were off to go and 'visit', she felt nothing but pity for them. At the very least, it was interesting, if not a little _intimidating_, to see this darker side of the Commander and she was more than happy to excuse herself from the group. She turned towards Levi, placing a hand over his arm lightly to grab his attention, "It's fine Captain. I'll go grab something to eat and let you guys mingle and all that. No worries."

Erwin shot her an apologetic look as she began to retreat, though that dark sort of twinkle remained present in his eye and she couldn't help but wish he wouldn't look at _her_ with that predatory expression, "Sorry Petra, but I _assure_ you that we'll make it quick."

She could only give a haunted, wide eyed nod as a way of response and she turned around in silence, mentally deciding then and there that maybe it was for the best that she not get promoted anytime soon, certain that she couldn't handle the dark sort of laundry list that came with the territory.

As she walked away, she could hear Levi grumble incoherent nothings, but their conversation was soon drowned out by the buzz of the room and soon her superiors were out of earshot entirely. While it _was_ a little unnerving to be at an event as a plus one for someone that wasn't even with her at the moment, she knew there was nothing she could do but wait it out. Besides, she was a grown adult and didn't need to have her hand held; she could spend this entire party alone if it came down to it. Like Levi said, it really was just a matter of passing time.

She decided to go through the food line and found a small empty table to sit at, eating quietly without much incident. While there had been a few stares and obvious whispers of people who knew exactly who she was, she supposed it wasn't anything outside of what she had already been dealing with for weeks now, so it didn't bother her too much. She actually started to get a little bored as time began to pass by without much to keep her interest. While there were a lot of things to do, Petra really didn't know anyone outside of her immediate superiors. She recognized a few faces of Officers in the Scout Regiment, but she didn't know them well enough to justify seeking them out for further conversation, and what was more, she didn't want to draw any further unneeded attention to herself by proactively mingling with the other Officers, that didn't seem particularly thrilled that she was there in the first place.

It was then that a sort of vibration across the floor startled her and Petra blinked as a chair was pulled out, someone sitting down at her table without so much as a hello.

Petra looked up, admittedly perplexed by the complete stranger that had joined her without warning. On the opposite end of the table now sat a woman a little older than her, and there were two other women that came with her, one standing to her side and the other sort of leaning down over the table in attempts to leverage herself up. Based off the way she was swaying while she stood and the half empty glass in her hand, Petra was certain that she had already had more than enough to drink.

Without missing a beat, the woman who had sat down leaned toward her with a smile, "You, you're Petra Ral right? Or, sorry, Ackerman? That's you?"

Petra felt her stomach churn from the questions and could only give a weak nod by way of response, dreading what was likely to come. The woman gave a laugh at her sheepish response and turned to the two women that came with her, "See guys? I told you so."

Petra frowned and looked around again, wondering if she should go to a new table or find some sort of excuse to leave. She had no idea what this person's intentions were, but she knew with certainty that she didn't want to find out. As if reading her mind, the woman shook her head and held her hand out, "Oh no no, please, I don't mean to be too forward. There's just been some interesting rumors going around as of late, and I wanted to make sure I had the right person before I tried to get the real scoop is all."

Petra felt like groaning, though the woman continued undaunted, not seeming to pick up on the fact that that was exactly what Petra was trying to avoid. She set her drink down on the table and watched her seriously, "So for starters, is it true that you really did marry Humanity's Strongest? That's a fact, right?"

Petra internally debated for a moment if she should just tell this woman to go away and to take her drunk friends with her, but she remembered what Levi had said about all the deals and posturing going on – she didn't know who this woman was and didn't want to snub a potentially important higher up by being rude to her off the bat. While she didn't_ want_ to sit and make conversation with her, she didn't want to accidentally hinder the Scout's positioning in the year to come by smarting off to the wrong people and supposed the best thing she could do was play nice.

She forced an exhale and presented her left hand slowly, deciding to play along to the best of her ability in the event that this was someone important, "Yes, I am married to Levi, he's my…husband." She stated awkwardly, and the three women each leaned forward and 'ooh'ed and 'ahh'ed over the admittedly impressive ring that Levi had selected for her.

"…But you're on his squad, right?" one of the women asked, and again all eyes were on her for an answer.

Petra grimaced as she pulled her hand back, putting it below the table and clenching and unclenching the fabric of her dress nervously, "Um, well, yes, so to speak, I guess that…that is an accurate statement." She finished lamely, and a knowing smirk came to the woman's face.

She leaned back into her chair smugly, "Oh, so some of these rumors _actually_ have a lining of truth to them after all, very interesting. Now tell me, how did all of this begin? Last I heard, Humanity's Strongest was antisocial as ever and hadn't so much as gone out on a date with anybody in years – now out of nowhere he's apparently married, and to his direct subordinate no less?" She paused and cocked her head, "How long has that been going on? Were you secretly a couple or something? How did he propose? Or is it _actually_ true that Erwin walked in on you guys and preformed the ceremony that same day as an attempt to cover the whole thing up?" She took a long drink and set the glass back down, watching her casually, "Listen, I don't judge because I've had my own list of scandals myself in the past - I'm just curious. How did this whole thing start?"

Petra took a deep breath, knowing that it would be a waste of time to bring up the actual circumstances that led to their marriage. People had already heard so many versions by now that the concept of them getting married due to a mere letter her father wrote would be considerably anticlimactic, and furthermore no one would _actually _believe that two people would agree to get married just because of that.

Petra found that she was practically stuttering, finding it impossible to bring strength into her voice, "Uh, well….I guess you could say we were…uh, seeing each other?" Her statement turned into more of a question at the end as an attempt to test the waters and see how believable her statement actually was. She couldn't really see a world where Levi would have intentionally dated her, but she must have been on the right track because the women each seemed to lean in, eyes wide as they gasped in surprise.

One smiled and shook her head, "I knew it. I _knew_ it wasn't just some spur of the moment thing."

"So how did you do it then? How did it all happen?"

Petra brought a hand over her neck, feeling her skin heat up as she tried to think of a story that might placate their curiosity and end this horrible interrogation.

_How indeed._

"Well uh, you see we've been working together for a long time now, and I guess…" she took a breath and tried to think on her feet. She could only hope that the women were as drunk as they looked, because she had always, always been a_ terrible_ liar when put on the spot like this. She cleared her throat, "Well, sometimes we would uh…well, we would…walk together. After training you know? And we'd put our equipment away and it was…sunset actually, a lot of the time even. So it was… romantic…some, some would say - because of…the sunset? And…_and_ the conversation. Yeah, lots of talking…and walking. You know, sunsets and conversation."

_Gods, were they buying any of this?_

"Anyway, we were walking, together, i- in the sunset I might add - and then…he…kissed me?" Petra asked in a soft mumble, watching their reactions warily.

One girl shook her head firmly, "No. _No_ way, _he_ kissed _you_?"

Petra frowned, mentally noting that she must have gone in a wrong direction with that one and tried again, "Oh well I mean, _I _kissed _him_?" She watched the women smile at her correction, and Petra coughed, "That is to say, of course_ I_ did. Because…you know, it was romantic. In the sunset and everything. After such good…conversations?"

She gave a smile to show she was finished, and the girls all sighed as though they had just been told the most romantic story in the world. Petra exhaled in relief – though _really _considered telling them that it was time to stop drinking. They had to be absolutely _hammered_ if they were buying a story like that. It was bad to even _her_ ears.

From behind her came the sudden and stern sound of someone _else_ clearing their throat, and Petra bit her inner lip and clamped her eyes shut, knowing the low tones of that voice and the trademark irritation that came with it all too well. She couldn't bring herself to turn around, but one of the girls looked up and giggled, "Oh there he is now, your little _Conversationalist_."

Petra gave a pained smile in return, knowing full well that Levi would _not_ like being called such a thing, or really_ anything_ that included the word 'little'. The real question was, had he actually _heard_ any of what she had just said? He did, didn't he? That was why he hadn't said anything yet and why he cleared his throat to grab her attention. Petra quietly bemoaned her dreadful luck. Of all the things for him to overhear, why that? Why couldn't he have just come like, three minutes later?

As Petra was trying to build the courage to turn around and face him, one girl stood up and walked toward him, the one that Petra had suspected was drunk before they had even said anything to her, and she brazenly placed a hand on the Captain's shoulder, leaning onto him slightly and not even noticing when he visibly flinched away from her touch.

She gave a laugh and jabbed a finger into his chest, "All this time I thought you were a scary guy, but now, after talking to your _lovely_ wife here, I know that you're just a sensitive guy who loves long walks, good conversation, and sunsets. That's just lovely." She gave a sigh and with her free hand, swirled the remaining contents of her drink before downing it in one go. She took a large breath, commenting with wide eyes, "And this whole time, I thought it was just the sex that brought you guys together. But this, _this_ is lovely. Just lovely."

"Petra." Levi's voice came from behind her, and she slowly turned towards him nervously, shooting him a sort of innocent smile as his gaze bored into her. He looked absolutely _murderous_, but she couldn't be sure if it was the woman leaning on him that he despised, or if it was just her, "Are you finished here?"

The look he watched her with suggested that his question was not in fact a question at all. Even if she _wasn't_ finished, she certainly was now. She knew better than to keep him waiting when he watched her with a glare like that. She stood up quietly and took a step toward him, not surprised when he looked toward the woman in unrestrained irritation before shaking out of her hold, not even blinking when she staggered from the sudden loss of stability.

Levi grabbed Petra's arm and pulled her away, taking large steps away from the women that had bombarded her a few moments ago. Levi scoffed as they moved hurriedly, "I don't know what's worse, that woman's breath, or your ability to lie." He shook his head and watched her narrowly, "You know, remind me to never let you write my eulogy. That was _terrible_."

Petra tried to keep up with his pace, mortified when Levi confirmed that he _had_ heard her after all. She had to pause and adjust her footing, not being used to walking in high heels and feeling the straps pull across her foot in an uncomfortable manner. Noticing that Petra wasn't behind him, Levi paused and turned around, crossing his arms tersely as he waited for Petra to fix her shoes.

She leaned down and adjusted the straps over her foot, standing back up straight and shrugging at his intense stare, "Look, I didn't know what else to say! They all came out of nowhere and ganged up on me and I don't know who anyone is around here. I didn't want to burn any bridges or whatever; you said there's _a lot_ of important people here so I thought it best to just play along and tell them what they wanted to hear!"

Levi watched her flatly, "You assumed that people who got drunk within the first hour of the party might actually be _important_? Basic logic would dictate otherwise; people who are important have _business_ to see to before getting wasted." He paused and shook his head, "And really Petra, sunsets and _conversation_? If I really were that fucking _sappy_ I'd be married ten times over by now to the first idiot that happened to say hi to me. Fucking unbelievable - is that _really_ your idea of a good date?"

She felt her face flush and again words began spilling out of her mouth as she tried to defend herself, "No, I'll have you know that is not my idea of a good date, thank you very much. Not that it's _any_ of your business, but I'd want my date to be charming, and funny, and handsome. We'd have dinner, talk, maybe enjoy the outdoors a little-"

"So, sunsets and conversation?" Levi supplemented with a snort, and Petra's mouth fell open in denial.

"No, none of that! It would be romantic, for _real_ romantic. There would be a spark, connection, _actual_ intimacy – something _you_ wouldn't know about, Captain."

He gave an amused, 'Uh-huh' though Petra continued speaking belligerently, fueled all the more by Levi's taunting grin, "And if the date goes well he might walk me back; we'd stand at the door and kinda stall saying goodbye maybe, try our hand at flirting, perhaps a kiss or two, and if the date went _really_ well, then I might invite him inside and _then_-" she paused all too late as Levi quirked an eyebrow, all out smirking at her words as he waited for her to finish her sentence.

When she clamped her lips together and her face began to glow red, Levi crossed his arms and leaned closer toward her, his voice a low, pleased whisper, "And _then_ what, Petra?"

She blanched and took a large step back, shaking her head and staring into the floor in obvious embarrassment. Levi tsked once and watched her smugly, "And on the _first date_ even?"

Her mouth went wide and her face continued to burn beet red as she looked up at him in embarrassment. She stammered for a few moments before finally finding her voice again, "Look I already said that's none of your business! I get it, my story was bad and I'm an obvious rookie who can't tell who's who. I'm _sorry_ okay? Can I just go get a drink and try to forget about it? There's no need to…grill me like this!"

Levi shook his head, and his smirk only grew more pronounced to the extent Petra could almost see his teeth as his lips pulled apart from sheer amusement, "You kidding me? After hearing that shit show, now _I_ need a drink." He paused and shook his head again, a chuckle escaping his lips as Petra eyed him waspishly, "Sunsets and conversation…_fuck_."

...

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End Of Chapter

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Okay, thank heaven this chapter is out.

This chapter has brought me and my friends so much laughter, and sooo much cringing. Poor, poor Petra and her inability to lie when put on the spot. Such a handy trait. I cannot tell you how many times my friends have since given each other bland, expectant looks when talking their dating life and just 'So, sunsets and Conversation?' 'Yeep.' I hope yall found this chapter hilarious, because hoooo boy, when that drunk gal leans on Levi and is all slurring her words and literally jabs him in the chest – I lose it every time. Gal's lucky she didn't lose an arm!

On a side note, I am so happy to hear how many people are enjoying the consistency of the Sunday updates. I think I said back a few months ago, I don't want to double check so it may be off, but that weekly updates would continue until the end of August? Something like that, and I would potentially go back to updating every other week if needed depending on new material? Well allow me to update that timeline now that we're getting closer to the cutoff.

Weekly updates are now slated to continue until the _end of the year!_ Hurrah! Drinks all around! In fact, I know this is WAY in advance, but as it so happens Christmas is in the middle of the week, so I maaayy or may not update twice that week in spirit of the Holidays.

But. All in good time. For now, one chapter, one step and one arc at a time.

See yall next week!


	18. The One with the Stupid Umbrella

Hey guys!

Morning and happy, happy Sunday! Truth be told, I usually try to have some variance of a greeting or something to say, but as it stands now, I'm only half awake and I'm not exactly a morning person. By the time you are reading this, I'm sure I'll be much more awake and spritely, but right now….meeehhhhhh.

Yall enjoy the read. Im'ma get myself some coffee.

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"So you're a whiskey guy?" Petra asked as they walked away from the bar, and Levi quirked an eyebrow and watched her with a side glance.

He had one hand in his pocket as he walked, and he looked at her drink with a distrustful stare, all but turning his nose up as he spoke indignantly, "And you're a, what is that - juice with a _drop_ of vodka - kind of girl?"

Petra laughed and stirred her colorful drink with an _extremely_ tiny black straw and Levi gave a snort, again looking ahead as they walked, "You know, when you said that you wanted a drink, I had assumed you meant an _actual_ drink, not fucking…_that_."

Petra smiled softly and sipped some of the liquid through her straw as she listened to his complaints, enjoying the fruity taste without care. She swallowed and shook her head, not allowing Levi's judgement to thwart her enjoyment in the slightest. "This is a Mai Tai for your information, Captain – very good. And to set the record straight, I'm not actually a cocktail girl. Usually when we go out, I drink beer like everyone else because it's cheap and it gets the job done, but considering I'm not footing the bill here, I'd rather get something _a little_ more pricey and _a lot _more tasty."

Levi didn't look impressed and continued on just the same, "Pretty sure your drink has less alcohol in it than _cough syrup_."

Petra felt a chuckle leave her lips, and she watched him with a raised brow, "Oh, does my little Mai Tai intimidate you that much, Captain? Here, try it. There's no way you can deny how good it is, one sip and you'll be singing a new tune." She held her drink toward Levi and she laughed loudly as she watched his lips pull back in _actual _disgust, her laughter causing a small amount of the liquid to spill over the edge as her movement shook the glass.

He responded with a flat, "No." and Petra was laughing all the more. Not deterred, she merely watched him expectantly, again presenting her drink toward him with an encouraging smile. A long,_ long _stare was exchanged between them and when it became obvious that Petra would not be letting up any time soon, Levi gave a low sigh, glaring in distrust as he handed his drink to her first and then took the glass out of her hands in a sort of exchange. His glare only deepened as he observed the new glass in his hand. It had an orangey sort of red shade from the different components and it gave the drink a kind of sunset look of sorts, because _of course_ it did.

Levi made a point of pulling out the ridiculous paper umbrella that had been placed in the drink and handed it to Petra with an unamused stare, his initial impression of her drink not changing in the slightest. It was his firm opinion that anything _worth_ drinking did not come with cutesy umbrellas shoved somewhere in the ice – no doubt a poor attempt to distract from the fact it was a _pitiful _drink - but if it got Petra to stop staring at him with that cheeky grin of hers he would suffer through it.

Instead of drinking out of the impossibly thin straw that he had seen Petra using, something else he found to be utterly ridiculous, he brought the glass up to his lips and took a small sip hesitantly, grimacing as a rush of overly sweet liquid – no doubt pure liquidated _sugar_ – overwhelmed his senses and he made a face as he brought the glass back down, hearing Petra practically snort as his face contorted from the extremely sweet flavor that was impossible to choke down.

For a moment the liquid just sat on his tongue and he knew to the very_ core _of his being that he didn't want to swallow it, but he was too hygienic to actually spit it out. He swallowed thickly and felt a slight sort of chill run over his spine from how unpleasant the drink was, the putrid sweetness still coating his mouth in a sort of aftertaste that lingered.

Petra was still laughing from beside him and Levi grimaced a second time, shaking his head as he held her drink up higher at eye level, inspecting it up close as his eyes narrowed critically, "I take it back. I'm pretty sure _water_ has more alcohol in it than this does. How the fuck can you stomach something this sweet?"

"You really don't like it?"

He merely glared at her, _scathingly_, and Petra shook her head in shock, legitimately surprised that the Captain seemed to hate it that much. As he was looking at the glass, there was another kind of chuckle; a deeper voice that grabbed both Petra and the Captain's attention.

"Well well, I would have never thought you to be someone to enjoy something like that, Levi."

Both looked up to see Erwin and Hanji walking toward them again and the Commander's eyes were shining with amusement after seeing Levi's apparent choice of drink. The Captain's face fell into a sullen expression and _very_ quickly, he handed the glass back toward Petra, mumbling a stiff, "It's _Petra's_." when Erwin neared them.

If the petite woman had been laughing before, it was nothing in comparison to the sound she made now. A loud torrent of laughter came out of her mouth and Levi's expression fell as a soured expression tightened his lips into a thin line, not appreciating being the subject of both Petra and_ now_ his superior's laughter.

Petra grabbed the drink from him without argument, still laughing just the same as she grabbed the glass out of Levi's hands, "Alright alright. I'll take the blame; this drink is mine Commander - and I have no shame about it either. Now I feel you should know, Levi here only drinks the gruffest and manliest of drinks that cause him physical _pain _when he drinks them, because pain and burning equals a good drink apparently. He needs to keep up his badass appearance and I wouldn't want you to think any less of him after seeing him in such a compromised position; he is a _manly_ man, Commander."

Erwin chuckled at Petra's teasing sort of explanation and Levi grabbed his drink from Petra, taking a drink from his own glass and shaking his head at her speech, "_Troublesome woman_."

Hanji moved closer into the group and grabbed Petra's drink out of her hand without warning, taking a curious sip from it and grinning as she pulled the glass away from her lips, "Hey this _is_ good Petra, what is it?"

Petra's eyes widened and she waved a hand, not at all bothered by Hanji's sudden grabbing of her drink after finally getting _some _form of validation that her drink was in fact a good choice, "See? _Thank you!_ It's a Mai Tai – a classic. Captain acted as if I tried to, I don't know, poison him or something."

"I'm still not convinced otherwise." He mumbled lowly, and took yet another sip of his drink passively.

Hanji made a face, rolling her eyes at Levi's stubborn nature and returned Petra's drink to her, about to confirm that Levi must have been off his rocker to not appreciate such a smooth blend of alcohol, but as Petra grabbed the glass again, she was suddenly bumped into, _hard_ \- hard enough that it caused her to stumble forward a few steps, her drink splashing across both herself and Hanji as a result.

Though it had been quiet, an unmistakable _'Fucking Slut'_ was heard as the person walked by with a smirk, and a few snickers followed from those that were walking with him.

Petra's mouth was wide open as she finally found her footing, and for a small moment she stayed staring into the floor – a sinking feeling nestling in the pit of her stomach as outright embarrassment washed over her after what had just happened. There was no way that Erwin and everyone hadn't heard that.

Petra continued staring into the floor for what felt like an eternal moment. She wasn't a fool – she had seen it the whole night; the turning heads, the smirks and the laughter, the fact that wherever she seemed to walk the present conversations would outright die in favor of staring at her narrowly – but so far it had been nothing more. Just looks. Stares. Whispers. Things that were annoying, but tolerable. Things she could _ignore_. She had _hoped_ that people would have continued to let her be, turn a blind eye to the fact she was there or at least not have the guts to confront her outright – but this? Her heart sank and her stomach twisted in embarrassment, because being practically _bullied_ in front of her superiors, being called a slut in front of the people she respected so much, made her feel extremely self-conscious and low, even if they already knew the real story.

She felt a kind of shame blanket her as the cold drink ran down her skin drop by drop –she _supposed _she was lucky in that it splashed mostly onto her skin and not the dress itself – and as she mentally tried to let it go, deciding it would be best to laugh it off if at all possible because she would feel even worse if her superiors watched her with concern and pity after something so petty like this. She inhaled in a breath of forced determination, finding the will to look up and face her superiors with her head held high.

Even if she didn't _feel_ fine, she would at least look the part because if they wanted to break her, they would have to do better than that. She had intended to smile at Hanji, make light of how clumsy she was in these damn shoes and effectively laugh it off, but instead, something else grabbed her attention and the words died on her tongue in an instant, her eyes going wide as she watched the new scene unfold in front of her.

In the time it had taken Petra to find her footing and mentally come to terms with the event, apparently Erwin had moved closer to Levi and had a clearly firm grasp on his arm, literally _tugging_ the Captain back as Levi was angled toward the man that had intentionally bumped her, a dark and sinister glower over his face that made Petra's previous fake smile fall in outright shock.

_What the…_

As he watched the man walk away, Levi's expression changed into a sort of snarl as he tugged his shoulder forward in attempt to get out of Erwin's grasp. The Commander's grip remained sure and he gave a single shake of his head, pulling firmly on Levi's arm _again_, his voice deep and low, "Any other time Levi, I'd let you. I_ expect_ you to protect her, but there are too many eyes and that's an MP."

"Like that fucking matters to me." Levi spat out quietly, again trying to wrestle himself out of Erwin's hold without making too much of a scene.

Petra looked at Erwin, then back to Levi – honestly not sure what was going to happen but reminded at once how intimidating her Captain was when he was_ this_ upset, knots forming in her stomach as she watched him. She considered speaking up, saying something like, 'It's fine Captain, it's no big deal to me.' but she just couldn't find her voice when confronted with her very strong and very foreboding Captain, being intimidated outright, and she could only watch nervously for the outcome.

Erwin looked at his subordinate seriously, "There's too much at stake here, too many relationships that would be strained or soured. You need to stand down Levi – that's an _order_."

Hearing this, Levi's attention snapped to the Commander and he glared at him in outright anger. Had _Petra_ been on the receiving end of that glare, she very well may have broken down into tears from being the direct focus of such malice, but Erwin only returned his stare evenly, again giving a single shake of his head, not intimidated in the least so it seemed by the glowering Captain.

Levi gave an irritated 'tch' and pulled his arm out of Erwin's grasp with a snap of force but remained where he was standing - not trying to hide the fact that he greatly disagreed with Erwin's decision, but respecting it all the same. He pressed his lips together into a thin line and exhaled firmly as he looked into the ground, a thick silence falling over the group as Levi shook his head, mumbling something to himself bitterly.

Erwin nodded at Levi's subdued behavior and looked toward Petra next, who was still watching the pair with wide and concerned eyes. Erwin sighed at her expression, his voice gentle, "Petra, I'm sorry about that. Are you alright?"

She was a little dumb founded, finding there were too many thoughts – too much to process in such a short time window – that she didn't know how to respond just yet. She merely gave a single nod and Erwin nodded in return, turning his attention toward Hanji next and asking her the same question, walking closer toward her as Hanji laughed about some whatever and flicked residual liquid off her arm.

Their conversation was lost to Petra as Levi moved toward her quietly, walking so close to her and stopping just a few inches in front of her. He grabbed the red hankie out of his jacket in silence before shaking his head and exhaling as he looked her over, her wide eyes only making him further upset. Knowing nothing could be done, he quietly reached toward her and pressed the hankie against her skin lightly. He pressed the liquid off her shoulders and base of her neck gently, his voice quiet as he spoke in hushed tones, "This was a bad idea, you shouldn't be here."

She opened her mouth to respond, but found she had no words, mystified even more by the Captain's gentle actions as he continued to press the fabric against her skin lightly in careful, patting and pressing motions, trying to not _smear_ the sugary liquid across her skin in the process. Levi sighed as he watched her, his hand coming to rest over her shoulder and he ran his thumb over the expanse of her collar bone, almost absentmindedly. He shook his head, frustrated to no end that he couldn't actually _do_ anything to right the circumstance because the MP's got away with fucking _everything_.

Life wasn't fair, because if it_ was_, there would be a certain MP on the damned floor, wiping blood from the corner of their mouth with a spooked expression that screamed regret. But it wasn't. Right now, that same MP was probably off in a circle of friends, pointing and laughing even now.

Levi set his jaw and cleared his throat, feeling Petra's gaze that spoke of concern, not for herself, no - rather for _him._

"Here, you should get the rest." He nodded toward her chest and Petra gave an insincere half smile, grabbing the hankie out of his hands and pressing it against the exposed skin of her chest, then wedging the fabric in the line of her cleavage, cleaning the last of the splashed liquid off from herself while Levi conveniently looked across the room and pretended not to notice her actions as she cleaned herself up further.

She handed the fabric back to him and he folded it back into his pocket neatly, an angry expression still over his face even now. He wasn't paying her much mind as thoughts continued to run rampant and unchecked within his mind, some part of him refusing to let it go. He wasn't prepared for when Petra gave a sheepish smile and cautiously, slowly, reached out and grabbed his hand.

The action surprised Levi as Petra raised both his and her hand gingerly between them, eventually wrapping both her hands around his larger one and drawing circles into his palm, the fabric of her gloves causing a sort of sensation to run through his arm that was comparable to a tickle but less intense – more soothing and cathartic in nature. She continued to lightly massaged her gloved fingers across his skin, and for a long moment, they remained completely silent; Levi finding he was just too mystified by the simple, yet unexpected and surprisingly_ intimate_ action, to say anything outright as he watched her in wonder.

She could feel his surprised stare and Petra couldn't hold his gaze, instead looking into the ground while she spoke, continuing to run and press her fingers into his palm in efforts to calm him down. "Captain…you're a little scary right now but even still," she paused and stole a single glance up toward him, only able to meet his gaze for a split second before looking into the ground again, "Watching you stand up for me, even if it didn't go the way you wanted, that was… kind of_ cool_."

While she felt silly saying such a thing, remembering him lunging forward, fighting against Erwin, the irritated expression across his face and knowing that it was for _her_ cause that he had been so angry to begin with- she looked up toward him shyly once again, feeling her cheeks start to heat up as she blushed under the weight of his stare, "I just wanted to say…thanks. I didn't know you could be so...noble."

Levi's eyes widened slightly, and for a moment he could only watch her in wonder; the gentle smile, the pink hue to her cheeks – he realized that _again_ she had caused him to fall speechless, and he tightened his hand around her fingers in a stunned sort of stupor, finding that his anger dissolved all at once as Petra watched him with her trusting gaze as he held_ her_ hand in return.

In truth, he didn't know he could be so 'noble' either, though he wasn't sure if that was the correct word. He wasn't the chivalrous type, especially considering most of the women he knew, Petra specifically, could more than handle their own. He had seen the man approaching, seen the way he glared at _him_ first, then snorted and rolled his eyes when he saw Petra. It had been irritating, but certainly not the first glare they had received throughout the night, but watching when he intentionally shoved her with his shoulder in 'passing' - watching Petra's expression fall when the man had called her such an unfitting, untrue title - he snapped. Had it not been for Erwin, he wasn't sure _what_ he would have done to the man, though he doubted greatly that Petra would have called his unbridled actions 'noble' had he gotten his way.

He exhaled and shook his head, allowing the matter to come to a close in his mind, "Well…that's what I'm here for. Even if it's only on paper, I am your husband, so if that means-"

From the side, Erwin cleared his throat as he walked back toward them again, and Petra was inwardly surprised when Levi didn't pull his hand away in embarrassment or something, rather just looked up toward Erwin expectantly, apparently not bothered by being seen standing so close to her, their hands still somewhat clasped and intertwined like they were. Hanji came to stand beside him, a serious expression across her face and Petra was relieved to see that she looked relatively unscathed, the damage of her spilled drink being rather minimal in the end.

Erwin nodded toward Levi and spoke, "Here's what I'm thinking; we've got one more person that I'd like to make rounds with while you're still here Levi, but after that Hanji and I can make do on our own. I don't want to subject Petra to any more petty 'accidents' throughout the night, so I may recommend that after this last visit you take her back to the Compound and call it a night. You've both made your appearance, it's safe to say that your attendance has obviously been noticed Petra, so there's really no need for you to stick around further."

Petra gave a small, grateful smile, "That may be for the best, Commander."

Erwin returned her smile, "Wonderful. In that case, we'll get right to it. Sorry to leave you alone like this but-"

Petra quirked an eyebrow, a mischievous glint present in her eyes, "Now now Erwin, I'm very capable of handling myself – I'm an elite Scout remember? I think I can manage a few drunken Officers."

Hanji grinned, crossing her arms as she observed the rather cozy couple, not surprised to see the obvious comfort and familiarity that had been steadily growing between them on full display. They were standing almost toe to toe, holding hands, and even _now _in the midst of conversation, Levi's gaze had hardly left hers for even a moment as though unwilling to. She wasn't sure if they were even aware of just_ how_ comfortable they looked together, but she knew that for anyone outside looking in – the judgmental Officers who had heard countless rumors, no one would be able to deny that there was a certain…closeness, between the Captain and his stunning wife that he kept so close beside him.

Knowing better than to voice her opinion and make them uncomfortable as a result, she looked toward Petra and laughed, "Just try not to get into too much trouble while we're gone. _You're_ fine, but I'm not sure Erwin can hold Levi back a second time so… do try to show some restraint, okay?"

Petra laughed and rolled her eyes as she released Levi's hand to hold up her own hands defensively, "Alright alright, I'll be on my very _best_ behavior. I'll keep the carnage to a minimum, but if you wait too long I make no promises about the body count."

Levi exhaled and took a step back, moving toward Hanji and Erwin seriously with a flat expression across his face, not amused by everyone seeming to make light of the situation, "Let's stop standing around and get moving." He looked toward Petra and nodded once, "I'll be back soon so don't wander off."

The trio set off again and Petra gave a polite wave. She wasn't nervous or uncomfortable, in fact she was certain that her superiors were more worried about her than she herself was, but she supposed it couldn't be helped. She had been living in the aftermath of the whispers and glares and snickers ever since the wedding had taken place – while her superiors mentally knew it had been happening and heard bits and pieces of the gossip as it trickled through the regiment – they hadn't actually seen it firsthand so the shock factor was taking its toll on them for the first time.

She looked around the room blankly, not exactly sure what she should do in the meantime. She supposed that she could always go and hide out in the girl's bathroom in attempts to ensure that she didn't cause any further fuss, but that would make it effectively impossible for Levi to find her once their errands were all said and done – and he had just explicitly told her to not wander off, likely for that very reason.

She gave a sigh and decided to not test Levi's patience and indeed, _much like a child_, wait exactly where she was for him to eventually, hopefully get back. Admittedly she felt a little silly, standing in the middle of the floor as people walked by her going place to place, but she supposed it couldn't be helped.

Minutes began to pass by and bleed together without much to report, but eventually there was a "Hey, miss?" that grabbed her attention. Petra turned around to see who it was that was calling out to her – if it was _her_ they were calling out to at all. She hoped not, but it certainly did sound like the voice was directed toward her specifically so…

As she turned curiously, a man in a black suit moved toward her, giving a slight wave as he made eye contact with her and walked toward her directly. Petra somewhat looked around her nearby area in confusion, certain that she must be wrong and that the real person they were intending to speak with must actually be someone else nearby, as this person didn't look familiar to her in the slightest. Surely this wasn't another stranger out to pester her about her relationship with Levi, right?

Seeing her confused expression, the man laughed as he came up beside her, "Yes, _you_. Sorry to call you out like that, but I wasn't sure if you really wanted me calling your name out so loudly – you've kind of become a sort of hot topic this evening."

Petra blinked and closed her mouth, not sure who this person was or what they wanted, but immediately on the defensive with an opening line like that. She mentally prepared to walk away, not wanting a repeat of any of the previous events – not just for her sake, but for Levi's, and even this stranger's. If this person wanted to have some form of confrontation with her, they would be sorely disappointed because she would outright_ leave_ before it came down to that. Levi would be irritated that she outright left without him, but she knew he would understand once she explained the situation. There had been enough drama tonight and she didn't want to cause any additional trouble for her superiors.

The man noticed her guarded and soured expression and sighed, "Hey, I'm sorry - I don't mean to offend you. My name is Michael, I'm a Squad Leader with the Military Police and I saw what happened earlier. I just wanted to come by and apologize –what happened there wasn't right and I'm sorry you experienced that."

Petra's eyebrows rose and she relaxed slightly, exhaling in relief, "Oh. Oh _that_? It's, well, it's nothing really. You didn't do it so-"

"But it's_ not_ nothing." He insisted with a half-smile, "I get we've all heard some rumors lately, but everyone knows rumors have a lot of back story and truths that don't get circulated most of the time. The fact that one of my fellow Officers chose to act out and intentionally belittle you, a man to a woman no less, is shameful. A real man would never treat a lady so callously."

Petra found she was at a loss for words, amazed by the chivalrous and passionate words of her sudden visitor. She shook her head numbly, chiding herself for being assumptive of this person's intentions and forcing a polite smile across her face, "Well…thank you, I guess. Uh, my name is Petra…but it sounds like…you already knew that."

He gave a laugh, "It's a pleasure Ms. Petra. All do respect but I've gotta admit I'm a little surprised. When I heard about a Scout marrying Humanity's Strongest, I figured it was…" he shook his head as though trying to find the right words as he looked at her, then exhaled and shrugged, "I don't know what, but after coming here and seeing just who it was that everyone was talking about – how astounding!"

Petra quirked her eyebrow in question, and the man laughed at her _again _guarded expression, realizing that he had apparently found a tough nut to crack. He gave a shake of his head, "Oh come on, you've _got_ to know what I mean. That man, Levi, he's so stuffy and angry and dangerous – has a dark past and a shady background, well, who are we kidding, he's a shady guy, but _you_? Well, I don't mean to come off too strong, but you really know how to light up a room! You're nothing like the girl I pictured in my head, that's for sure. Tell me, how did someone like you get tangled up in such a mess anyhow – you look so innocent!"

Petra chewed her bottom lip, a different sort of nervousness setting in her stomach now that the conversation was starting to unfold. While she was happy this didn't seem to be someone who was out to start a fight or bully her, she didn't like how freely he talked about Levi in such a careless and disrespectful way. In the back of her mind, she remembered hearing that there was something of a history between Levi and the MP's –and seeing Levi earlier and hearing this man's words just now – she supposed this all but confirmed it.

"Well it's a long story and I won't bore you with the details," Petra stated, deciding it was best to avoid trying her hand at another 'how it all began' story and intentionally left it vague, "But I think you've got the wrong idea about the Captain – and _me_ for that matter. I'm not as innocent as I look." She had meant it as a firm statement, almost a shadow of a _threat_ even, but she must have said something wrong because there was a spark that lit in his eyes and his grin widened all the more.

He smiled warmly, "Oh, I'm glad to hear _that_. As for your Captain, to be candid he and I go back a lot longer than you do - I know better than most how far that man will go to get what he wants. Although. That's a story for another time, and I'd rather not talk about it because Erwin's protecting his ass so there's no point. What I suppose I want to know now, is how far _you'll_ go?"

Petra cleared her throat, her unease growing all the more from this strange conversation she had found herself in. Her gut told her that she _should_ be on edge and remain guarded, but the only problem was she didn't know from _what_. The man _was_ charming, even if she hated to admit it. He had a good build, a sharply angular and attractive face, and a deceptive smile – more than anything it bothered her that she couldn't quite figure out what his intentions were and why he sought her out for conversation like this. It was _obvious_ he didn't like Levi, obvious he harbored irritation toward Erwin for 'protecting' him – one would think that a man like him would have very little business with the said Captain's wife.

She crossed her arms, shaking her head in confusion, "Excuse me? How far I'll go for…_what_, exactly?"

The man took a step toward her, the charming smile still on his lips. He dropped his voice lower and he shrugged, "Look, I'll admit you've got a sweet little set up in the Scouts, but I gotta say, after seeing you, I really feel you're selling yourself short here. Have you ever considered switching over to the Military Police? Be a lot more stable career, certainly a lot safer too. A girl like you could go a long way if the right doors were opened up for her."

The right doors? The Military Police?

Now Petra was _completely_ confused. She should consider the Military Police, but he only felt this way after _seeing_ her? What did her appearance have to do with anything? She shot him a dumbfounded expression and watched him with narrowed and questioning eyes, "The…Military Police? I'm a _Scout._"

She had meant it to be a statement of fact - a clarification that she was proudly a Scout and would die a Scout, but again the man hadn't understood her meaning and continued speaking just the same, completely unphased. It frustrated Petra – it was like they were speaking two different languages! What the hell did he even _want _from her?

He placed a hand on her shoulder, his thumb brushing over her collar bone in a similar manner to what the Captain had done previously, and he gave a gentle laugh, "Oh come now, a girl like you knows things aren't always so black and white. It's not common we pool our recruits from other factions, but exceptions are made from time to time. You must know that your Captain isn't the only one who can hand pick their team, right? I'm a Squad Leader; I also have that same authority."

Petra wrinkled her nose and stepped back so his hand came_ off_ her, not sure why he had opted to touch her in the first place and finding the action extremely unnecessary and off-putting, "Um, Squad Leader…I'm sorry if I'm not following you properly, but you seem to have something to say, and I'm just going to have to ask you flat out: are you trying to offer me a position in the _Military Police_?"

The man cocked his head and his grin only widened, sending a chill down her spine with the sudden expression he watched her with. His voice was soft, "That depends. Do you _want _a position in the Military Police? I can respect a girl who knows what she wants and uses _all_ her resources to get it. If you are set on advancing your career, and considering the way you're letting _that_ man use you now, well. You really could do _better_ than him, don't you think? Perhaps I'd be willing to make an opening for you on_ my_ squad – you could think of it as new management. You'd like that right? Being under me, instead of Levi?" As he spoke, the man's eyes trailed down her body and he smiled all the more, making his intentions painfully clear to such an extent Petra felt dumb for not having figured it out sooner.

"You're a beautiful woman Petra, and luckily for you, you're not the only person that isn't afraid to bend the rules to get what they want. This can benefit the both of us, right? What do you say?"

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End of Chapter

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Well there you have it - you know I like my cliffhangers! It's been a bit since we've had a real, old fashioned cliff hanger, and oh it makes me smile. The drama! The outcome! The suspense! Who knows?! *pokemon announcer voice* Tune in next week to see what happens next!

And yall, let me know your thoughts, yeah? I don't know if the site's been glitchy lately (I think it has been) because the comments have been few, and when they do come, it takes HOURS for the site to register it properly. Sooo strange.

Either way, thanks as always for the support and I shall see yall next Sunday!

~Midnight

P.S – Mozel Tov and welcome back! (This week right, I forget?) Either way, congrats because it is an amazing journey worth taking, but oh indeed is it hard. Laugh often, and forgive always. Wishing you all happiness in your new adventure!


	19. The One that's not a Date

*Jazz hands*

Guess who is doing their last-minute edits on Saturday night, and therefore has a bit more energy than the traditional Sunday morning version of Midnight? Heh-heh. She can be taught :)

As always guys, I've got to give big shout outs to my commenters and readers as a whole, because yall seriously bring me SO much encouragement. It has been a LONG few weeks on my end of the screen, and I love how many people have said that that this story has been a pick-me-up for them, how they look forward to Sundays, that Sundays are now their favorite day of the week – I love that I can be a part of that for you guys, and I mean that so sincerely. More than that, I love how blood thirsty yall were this week, screaming for vengeance after Petra's extremely rude guest. I love yall's feistiness, so keep it coming.

I could blather on for a while (yall KNOW I can haha) but I know that last week was a bit of a nail biter, so I'll tone it down and just say that yall are very, very appreciated and make my job as a writer, a lot of fun!

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Levi had been watching Petra from the corner of his eye, mentally checking up on her every few minutes ever since they had walked away. It wasn't that he was afraid Petra _couldn't_ take care of herself - he had seen her ferocity on the battlefield and knew full well she had every ability to handle whatever was thrown at her – no, he was more so afraid that she _wouldn't_ take care of herself, and instead subjecting herself to be walked over in fear of causing any problems for him.

He had already witnessed that exact behavior with whatever group of women had come to brigade her with their nosy, unneeded questions. She _should_ have told them all to mind their own damn business, but no, she had actually gone as far as to _indulge_ them instead, preferring to appease them instead of making waves. She was too lax, too gentle to tell people off, and her inability to command a hard conversation invited trouble more often than not.

"I'm _aware_ you have a business to run." Hanji's voice grabbed his attention back to the conversation at hand, "We all have numbers to crunch and deadlines to make; we just wanted to stop by and remind you of the importance of keeping true to your loyalties and not making any enemies as a result of hasty decisions."

The man in question, a merchant that controlled a fair share of the military's supply shipments, gave a nervous laugh, "Well of course! You know I value our relationship, but items are hard to come by this time of year – the shipments get harder and harder to make, taxes get raised, labor costs increase – but you should know I work hard to make sure that we charge a fair and honest rate to_ all _the military factions no matter what. I for one am looking forward to those new trade routes in the Spring that we agreed upon last quarter. My team predicts that-"

Levi's eyes again pulled back to Petra as the man prattled on, thankful that her deep red dress tended to stand out in a sea of black suits. It looked as though someone was walking up to her, and while it could simply be a friend or maybe a previous training contact, he found he was ready to walk away if things took a turn for the worse.

"See now that's an interesting claim, considering our records show you are charging us a considerable percentage _more_ than the MP's." Erwin stated next, and the man's face went white.

He laughed nervously in response, "Oh that? Well you know how it is Commander, they uh, well there's the distance to consider for the Scouts with you're being stationed in Wall Maria – also there's the rarity of goods produced. It's not such a simple matter when you factor-"

"Cut the shit." Hanji stated flatly, and Levi turned his head back to the conversation, giving a hard stare to the pathetic man who was practically sweating bullets now, already cracking under the pressure that was the Scout's dynamic leadership, "They cut you a deal and you favored this year's trade routes to them so they get the cream of the crop, and we get stuck with the bill."

The man shook his head with wide eyes, "No, it's not like that! I have people I report to; they monitor everything I do, it's not always my choice how-"

The man _actually_ reached out and grabbed Petra's shoulder, and Levi pressed his lips together as he watched her step back in response, an obvious nervousness to her actions. Levi sighed in ever growing irritation, wondering what the_ hell_ was happening over there. It was hard to see who it was that had approached her – if he could just see his face, he would have a better indication of what was going on, after all it _could_ have been a friend of hers, he _supposed_, but with the angle he was standing at he just couldn't get the right visual and…

Levi mentally cleared his mind and took a single step forward, annoyed that this conversation was _still_ going on because he had better things to do than force people to reprioritize their dealings that had already been worked out months ago.

"_Who?_" Levi demanded flatly once the man continued blathering on about how he was being watched and how the matter was out of his hands, "Who are you so damn afraid of that you'd be willing to risk embittering your standing with the _entire _Scout Regiment, its allies, business partners – _countless_ others who are invested in what we do."

Levi took another step forward, his dislike for the man increasing exponentially when he nervously gulped and flinched. Levi's voice was low, "But, I suppose if that's _really_ how it is and there's nothing you can do, then perhaps we're wasting our time - unfortunate for _you_ in that case - but because we're _such good allies_, I'll do you a favor and tell you to watch your back over these next few months because all the numbers will start to roll in eventually. You would do well to remember that we _too_ have people we report to, invested parties who monitor our cause, and I hear it from a _damn_ good source they don't exactly like it when we have to spread ourselves even_ thinner _because of a single fucking element that's standing in our way and messing with our budget."

Levi looked toward Erwin, receiving a single imperceptible nod of encouragement; the man was very close to breaking now. Levi looked back and took a final step toward him, far closer than necessary as he looked up at him dangerously, "Do you know what _happens_ to single elements that get in the way? If you _do_ know, perhaps the best question you can ask yourself, as a well-informed businessman of course, is how you can get _out _of the way before someone else comes along and removes you as an obstacle after tragic, unforeseen events."

The man again flinched away from Levi, leaning back in a rather pathetic display and Erwin finally chuckled, "Oh come now Levi, there's no need to scare him like that. He's an ally after all, _right_?"

The man looked between the three of them, a glaring Humanity's Strongest that was inches away from his face, a girl who's glasses caught the light just right and made her appear certifiably insane, and then a tall, sadistically grinning Commander who was just waiting to hear the verdict, as though he had already known the outcome from the beginning.

He gave a nervous shake of his head, his voice cracking as he tried to respond, "Okay okay, look, I might be able to work around some numbers in your favor, just…just let's talk about this. There's no reason to report anything hasty or misleading - we can make sure your numbers look just as good this year as they did last year!"

Levi gave a sharp exhale and took a few steps back with a snort, turning over his shoulder and again taking the time to find Petra to see how things had developed, absolutely _itching_ to walk away and finally ward off whoever it was that was making her so obviously uncomfortable. His eyes finally found her, and noted that whatever was happening over there, it was getting worse. Her arms were crossed, her head was pulled back defensively – he could see her lips move as she conversed with whoever it was that stood by her; he could only assume it was the same man from the look of things. Either he couldn't take a hint, or Petra wasn't coming off strongly enough to make him leave. Either option seemed equally as likely.

Hanji smiled warmly, "Oh is that so? Wonderful! We knew we could come straight to you about this issue because we know that you will only be offering us a _fair_, and_ honest_ rate – right? After all, nothing is set in stone and things can always change for the better." Her expression darkened considerably, and she gave a chilling smile, "_Or worse_."

"Right, of- of course!" the man squeaked, and Erwin leaned down toward Levi who had moved to stand beside him while Hanji confirmed that she would love to hear the details of their new rate and how they could prevent such 'misunderstandings' in the future. Erwin's voice was hushed, "Okay Levi, I _get _it; we've got it covered here so you're free to go."

Levi's voice was also a tense whisper, not wanting to distract the man while Hanji set the much needed groundwork that would help the budget actually balance in the months to come, "She's been belittled and laughed at all night – I hold you responsible for _all_ of it."

Erwin sighed through pressed lips, a sort of irritation present in his tone, "Very well then. Do you want to stand here and _argue _with me about it, or do you want to go and take care of…" Erwin looked over his shoulder and frowned as he tried to sort out the identity of Petra's visitor, a note of sudden distaste in his voice as he spoke, "Is that Squad Leader _Michael_?"

Levi all but growled, "The MP?"

"Yep. That's what it looks like to me. Best get moving, Captain."

Levi swore under his breath and started walking across the room with a dark scowl, barely having even heard Erwin's dismissal because he was already on his way. Had he known _that's _who Petra had been dealing with, he would have left sooner – _much_ sooner. Levi knew full well that not everyone in the Military Police was bad; there were exceptions to every rule after all, but Squad Leader Michael was _not_ one of them. No, he was all but the fucking_ epitome_ of everything Levi hated about the Military Police, and _then_ some.

Levi had consistently rubbed shoulders with the man for over a full decade, and certainly not by choice. Aside from the fact that they hadn't exactly shared what would be considered a 'healthy' relationship back in his Underground days since he was far from a 'law abiding' citizen, since coming to the Scout's, Levi had seen the man's still all-consuming hatred for him, and heard far too many stories about his persuasive nature, his frequent abuse of his authority, and more notably, his shady way of pursuing women.

Levi would have thought that anyone with half a fucking brain would have_ known_ better than to make a pass at Petra now that word had gotten around that she was _his_ wife, but it seemed he had been_ very_ mistaken. No, if anything, it had only _added_ to her allure; something Levi found to be annoyingly perplexing. People were apparently curious as to what made her so special that she had won Humanity's Strongest over, and after seeking her out, they collectively seemed to decide that they liked what they saw, _very much_. He had seen it in countless eyes when she walked from place to place – watched tensely as their gazes darkened with less than wholesome thoughts - he had heard it in the bar from more than one conversing Scout, and now he was actually _seeing_ it in action.

Unfucking believable.

He felt anger begin to wash over him, certain now of the nature of Petra's visitor and the type of conversation she might be having in his absence. It explained her reactions so perfectly, her obvious discomfort, the way she stepped back from him – Levi felt a sort of rage run through him when he remembered that the man actually had the _audacity_ to touch her, and his pace sped up all the more. As he neared them, he could just start to hear their conversation.

It was Petra's voice, and Levi watched her as she cautiously seemed to ask a question in response to whatever he had said before hand, "Um, Squad Leader…I'm sorry if I'm not following you properly so I'm just going to have to ask you flat out, are you trying to offer me a position in the _Military Police_?"

Levi's eyes narrowed. He was doing _what_ now?

Levi watched in disgust as a sick smile spread across the man's face, "That depends. Do you _want _a position in the Military Police? I can respect a girl who knows what she wants and uses _all_ her resources to get it. If you are set on advancing your career, and considering the way you're letting _that_ man use you now, well. You really could do _better_ than him, don't you think? Perhaps I'd be willing to make an opening for you on_ my_ squad – you could think of it as new management."

Levi watched as the man dared to look her up and down, and he set his jaw firmly – enraged on Petra's behalf that anyone was brazen enough to treat her so disrespectfully. As if he hadn't said enough - hadn't made his intentions clear enough, hadn't degraded her enough - he only continued speaking, watching her with an expectant sort of smile as if he had fucking _rights_ to her or something.

"You'd like that right? Being under me, instead of Levi?"

Levi could feel his blood pounding in his veins at the Squad Leader's last comment, the statement well past a simple_ innuendo_ with its brazen claims, and it made him want to knock the man out, if only to get him to stop talking about his subordinate so disgustingly because Petra…fuck, how would _she_ feel after hearing these sorts of comments?

She had asked him not to go, outright begged him even, because of this _very _fucking reason. Shit, he really should have put up more of a fight with Erwin, but it had seemed like such a simple request and he wanted to pick his battles wisely – especially concerning Petra.

Even still, hindsight was a bitch.

"You're a beautiful woman Petra, and luckily for you, you're not the only person that isn't afraid to bend the rules to get what they want. This can benefit the both of us, right? What do you say?"

Oh, there wouldn't be_ time_ for her to say anything, Levi decided in an instant. With Erwin giving him the green light, Levi was greatly anticipating putting the Squad Leader in his place. Not only would Levi enjoy letting some of his pent-up tension loose, it would send the clear message to everyone that _whatever_ their feelings were toward his subordinate, if they belittled her, touched her, harmed her in_ any_ fucking way - they would have to answer to_ him_ personally. He was just a few feet away and-

"What do I say?" Petra stated, looking at the ground while she spoke. When she looked up, Levi momentarily stopped dead in his tracks, admittedly a little..._intimidated_ by the murderous expression he saw across her face.

"I say fuck you!" she stated loudly, loud enough that it wasn't just Levi who could hear them anymore; multiple people turned in to see what was going on that had wagered such words to be said with such overt malice.

Petra was clearly furious, to such an extent that she didn't even notice the attention she was grabbing, taking a step forward and cracking her knuckles darkly as she continued speaking angrily, "I say, Squad Leader Michael, that you should be outright _discharged_ for abusing your authority and undermining the success of others by offering them such disgusting deals like this in the first place! I say that you are obviously_ jealous_ of Captain Levi and want to try and one up him by, what, hitting on_ me_ as some weak attempt to settle whatever grudge you have with him in the first place? First off, I am not some fucking _pawn_, so let me address_ that_ here and now and make it resoundingly clear that Captain Levi, my husband mind you, is _ten times_ the man you will _ever_ be."

Oh shit, she _actually_ went there?

Levi blinked at her words, his own mouth falling open as he tried to keep up with the venom her words carried, spite dripping from her every word as she berated him further. Levi _had_ taken a breath in preparation to speak, but it was obvious that his subordinate was far from finished because she kept moving toward the Squad Leader just the same, a scowl darkening her features as she stormed toward him step by step.

Petra crossed her arms and stopped just in front of him as she_ leaned_ toward him threateningly – not so coincidentally, in a _very _similar manner that she had seen a certain Captain use throughout the years – and Levi found a smirk pulling at his lips as he recognized the maneuver as his own.

The notably intimidated man actually backed away from her, and Levi's smirk only widened as Petra simply followed him step for step as she spoke, "I say you are a pathetic, worthless_ coward -_ A spoiled brat that's never worked for a single thing in his entire goddamned life! So to answer your question, _Squad Leader_, the answer is no! Hard pass." She paused and gave a rather ugly sort of smile as she held her head up proudly, "I'd rather be eaten by a _Titan_ than ever have to report under the likes of a pathetic loser like _you_ that hides behind his title, hides behind the Walls, and hasn't accomplished _anything_ in his life other than converting oxygen into carbon dioxide! But yeah, _thanks anyway _for your stupid offer or whatever, you fucking asshole. Go to hell."

Her voice was scathing and audibly dripping with hatred and sarcasm by the end, and Levi couldn't help it when a shocked, yet admittedly _proud_ chuckle escaped his lips, the sound grabbing Petra's attention and only heightening his amusement all the more when her face fell into absolute horror and surprise. She looked around and realized what a scene she had made, only now noticing that multiple people watched her with wide eyes and gaping mouths.

Her face began glowing red as Levi walked the last few steps toward her, and she suddenly struggled to find her words in attempts to explain herself – a great contrast to the Petra who a mere moment ago had colorful words and brutal insults flying out of her mouth with terrifying precision, "L-Levi, you-"

"Fucking _hell_, woman," he stated in amusement, remembering how only moments ago he had been worried that she wouldn't have the guts to actually speak up for herself. He shook his head, finding he couldn't stop the sort of laugh that renewed itself the more he thought about it, "Here I thought I was going to have to beat the shit out of him, but that…_that _was something all on its own. You could have just told him _no_…"

Levi's smirk morphed into a small smile and he shook his head, feeling nothing but pride as he watched his perplexed subordinate. He exhaled lowly as he watched her with a quirked eyebrow, his voice quiet as he spoke to her in continued amazement, "There's no doubt you truly are my wife, if only on paper. Picking fights with higher ups in the Military Police – fuck, I can't take you anywhere, can I?"

As much as he wanted to watch Petra, to let her know that he greatly approved of her standing up for herself in the brazen manner she did, he knew that _his _business was not yet finished. Levi cleared his throat and sobered his expression, letting his gaze fall on the snubbed MP that watched the pair with a hateful snarl, his face red from embarrassment at being loudly called out, and subsequently _rejected_ by the stunning Scout that had become (and would _remain_) the talk of the night.

Levi smirked and shook his head at the embarrassed glare the man shot him, as though he had just now realized that Levi had heard the _entire_ conversation.

At this point violence wasn't necessary - Petra's words had already cut the man far deeper than Levi's fists would ever be able to reach - but even still, the Captain wasn't ready to let him off the hook completely, because he had a point to make yet. Levi placed his arm around Petra, hand snaking around the small of her back and coming to rest on her waist before pulling her close to his side, right up against him as he watched the MP intentionally, who's eyes narrowed at the display.

If it hadn't been for the fact that his attention had been on the Squad Leader, Levi would have marveled how Petra so _easily_ came beside him, without need for warning, no sharp gasps or tenseness – if his attention hadn't been elsewhere, perhaps he would have noticed how he _himself_ hadn't felt the slightest bit of tension either - how outright _natural_ it had felt for her to be by his side.

Levi _was_ focused however, on the angry MP that watched him with an ever-familiar snarl. Levi returned his gaze, his eyes challenging him further and his voice coated with a tangible smugness, "Squad Leader Michael, allow me to formally introduce my _wife_, Mrs. Petra _Ackerman_."

Though Levi was obviously trying to make a point, Petra couldn't help but look toward her Captain with wide eyes, feeling a sort of nervousness build in her stomach from her less than subtle introduction. His hand was warm on her side, she was now pulled so close to him that she could feel his body heat and what was more…

He had never actually said her name before, not her_ full_ name at least.

It was always just _Petra_.

She blushed at his words, mentally admitting that it sounded rather nice… at least, when_ Levi_ said it, anyway.

There was a slight stuttering that followed Levi's statement, and after a slight staring match, the MP gave a huff and walked away, muttering something incoherent as he disappeared into the crowd.

Levi shook his head, watching him walk away with contempt in his eyes before exhaling in finality and again looking toward Petra with a sense of pride. If what _he_ had done earlier was 'cool', in her words at least, then he could only describe her actions as outright badass.

What was more, he couldn't help but mentally take note of the expression she still watched him with. It was a stark contrast, Levi realized as he looked into her vibrant green eyes, the way she looked at _him_, versus the way Petra had looked at her unwanted suitor a mere moment ago. There was a calm, a certain level of contentment and unabashed _trust_ in her eyes; a restored wellness to her being that was only there because he _himself_ was there beside her. He realized in a sort of awe that he was perhaps, the only man that would _ever_ receive such a look from her, and a warmness came to his expression as he returned her trusting stare with a pleased 'Hmph.'

He wouldn't necessarily consider himself to be competitive, although something about the look in her eyes, the blush on her face as she watched _him_ in obvious admiration - he couldn't deny the smirk that pulled at his lips and the pride that continued to flood his chest even now, even after Michael had walked away and let them be.

Levi moved his hand back from around her waist and onto the small of her back, pushing her gently with his hand to direct her away. He leaned closer toward her and spoke quietly, noting that there were still many eyes that were watching them in outright shock, "Don't know about you, but I've had all the 'fun' I can take. Let's go."

Petra gave a weak, flustered nod and allowed him to lead them toward the door, blushing all the more as she felt the weight of so many people's stares on her even now. She turned her head toward him, whispering nervously as they walked, "I can't believe you _did_ that, like, in front of _everyone_ \- Power play much, Captain? They're all terrified of you now."

He also looked around the room, noting their haunted, lingering stares and shook his head, "If you recall, _you're_ the one that made them all look in the first place, so technically it's not my fault they're staring." What was more, their collective stares weren't settled on him, but rather on the woman beside him, and he exhaled in continuation, "And for the record, right now, _I'm_ not the one they're actually afraid of. They already _know_ I'm not someone to fuck with, but thanks to your little _episode_ back there, they're probably all shitting themselves because they had likely assumed _opposites_ attract, ergo you _must_ be kind and gentle and timid - everything I'm _not_ \- so they probably can't fathom the fact that you somehow have an even _worse_ temper than I do."

She blinked at his statement, stammering as she looked at him with wide eyes and denying his claims outright, "I - I do_ not_ have a worse temper than you, I just..." as Levi watched her with a flat stare, Petra gave a sheepish exhale and shrugged self consciously, "I'm just..._louder_ than you is all."

Levi nodded once, clearly not convinced because both of them knew her words were a lie, and Petra gave a smack of her lips as a sort of disbelieving laugh left her, "I'm… I'm just still in shock you said that though. Could you have made it _any_ more clear that I'm married to you? _Damn_, Captain. Maybe if you stood up on a table and shouted? I don't think the people in the back heard you!"

"Shit, whatever it takes, right? I don't know why you're making such a fuss - these pompous assholes need to learn some fucking respect and treat my wife with a little more class."

They continued walking across the floor with ease, finding that a majority of the people were _proactively_ moving out of their way, as it seemed no one wanted to be the next victim to be told off by the renowned Captain's ill-tempered wife. As they walked, Petra watched him with a haughty sort of grin, "Oh-ho, so you refer to me as your _wife_ now? I thought that was just on paper, Captain. Could it be that I'm so charming that you've fallen for me? As much as I admire you_ as_ my Captain, I feel the need to remind you of our prior agreement and urge you not to get too attached to me." She paused and quirked an eyebrow in challenge, "If you can help it, that is."

He actually snorted at her words, "Alright, don't get cocky, you little shit. It_ is _just on paper, but we don't want _them_ to know that – that was the entire point of you being here _at all_ tonight, remember? Fuck, two sips of liquor and you can't recall shit; you really are a lightweight."

As they walked out, bickering back and forth and teasing each other the whole way, Levi didn't move his hand from off her lower back, and Petra hadn't wanted him to.

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It was as they walked out of the building, walking away from all the buzz and the noise of the party that Petra let out a loud sigh and stretched her limbs above her head, "Well, I'm glad that's over. All in all..." she turned her head to the side and stole a glance toward Levi, who quirked an eyebrow as he waited to hear her thoughts about the event, "I think you can hold off on the promotion for a few more years, Captain. It's still a little much for me."

He nodded, a sort of amusement evident in his expression, "Noted."

A silence fell over them and Petra looked up serenely, the sun dipping just below the trees and sending bright colors of oranges and reds across the sky, various clouds creating patches of deep purples and pale yellows in a vibrant display as the training grounds were silhouetted in a breathtaking manner.

"You know," Levi stated, suddenly rather serious as he also looked up toward the sky pensively, "I feel I should clarify something, just so there's no confusion later."

Hearing his shift in tone, Petra's brows pulled down and she looked at him in concern, wondering if she had done something wrong or what it was that the Captain felt he needed to suddenly clarify. She cleared her throat, "Oh. Well okay, uh, sure. What's up?"

He gave a slight nod and looked over toward her, his expression considerably serious as he watched her pointedly, "As we walk back, am I assuming correctly that we're going to be talking most of the time?"

"Uh, well…I mean, maybe?" Petra responded in confusion and Levi looked back toward the path ahead, taking a breath and shaking his head all the more as though she had just said something _terrible_. Petra could only watch him in concern as the troubled expression remained across his face and she pried further, "Is that a problem? I mean, if whatever conversation we're having is, I don't know, offensive or whatever, we can change the subject or…" she gave him a sort of blank stare, admittedly lost as she had no idea what he was so concerned about all of the sudden.

"It's just…it's _sunset_." As he said the last word, a tiny smirk pulled at his lips, unable to keep a straight face any longer and Petra instantly rolled her eyes, finally realizing the direction this conversation was going and irritated that she had fallen for his ruse in the first place.

Levi put his hands in his pockets and smirked fully as they continued walking down the path, "I just don't want you to think this is a_ date_ or anything, what with all this _walking_..." Petra glared at him with narrowed eyes as her face turned bright red, and Levi grinned in heightened amusement, enjoying her obvious embarrassment immensely. He looked down the path and continued, "Plus there's the _sunset_ and _conversation_ to consider. I know how this might look to you, but again I want to clarify that-"

"Oh for Maria's sake!" Petra gave a mortified cry as the Captain watched her smugly, still not ready to let it go so it seemed. She buried her head in her hands and groaned, certain now that he would _never_ let her live it down, though was indeed laughing nonetheless from sheer embarrassment as well as the fact that she had walked right into it. Attempting to compose herself, Petra cleared her throat again and stood up straight, holding her head up at an angle and looking down at him as she spoke, "Alright, well message received, okay? Besides, you should _be_ so lucky to take me on a date, Captain."

Though Petra had intended to turn the tables on him, Levi's smirk only grew more pronounced and he crossed his arms as he watched her smugly, "Well if I _were_ going on a date with you, I probably _would_ get lucky, cause just the _one date_ is all it takes apparently."

Petra coughed a few times at his not so subtle statement, her jaw dropping from pure shock as she would have never thought that he would have so brazenly gone_ there _without a second thought, just to tease her. He gave her a long reproving stare, though his stare was clearly more in amusement than actual judgement, and Petra exhaled in defeat as she shook her head, deciding that he had her beat this time around.

"Alright alright." She gave an exhale and looked up toward him with a smug expression of her own, "So tell me Captain, if you're going to so snidely tease me about it, then I believe you officially owe me an answer – what's_ your_ magic number?" her eyes narrowed critically as though trying to get a good read on him, and she even dared to take a guess, "Imma say you're a…third date, kinda guy?"

He nodded once or twice and held her stare for a long moment, the smirk still on his lips as he looked back at the path, originally intending to not answer her question at all, but finally chuckling as she watched him stubbornly, with an expectant, playful grin of her own as though prepared to wait the whole night if it came down to it.

"…Second." He finally stated, and Petra beamed triumphantly at the divulged information. Levi looked toward her flatly and continued, "_But_ I don't exactly 'date' per say, so take that for whatever it's worth."

Petra exhaled and gave a weak shrug at his clarification, smiling sheepishly as she looked into the ground, "Well…me neither. I guess it's easy to _talk_ big, but the truth is I've only actually had…_one_ boyfriend. That was ages ago, before I was in the military even. Nothing too serious of course, lasted for a little over a year or so and then we split up and I was in the military that very summer. Either way, there you have it - my long laundry list of men: _One_."

Levi watched her as she spoke, mentally noting that her words made a lot more sense and fit his subordinate considerably better than the idea of a sappy mess that dated and slept with men without much apparent thought after mere '_sunsets and conversation'_. Not that he would have thought any less of her if that had been true - with his past he certainly had no right to judge - but he had been _fairly _confident that she hadn't had _any_ sort of relationships while on his squad, or even further back to when she had first_ joined_ the Scouts if the rumor mill had any bit of truth to it, so her previous claims had struck him as being… a little out of place, if not entirely unlikely.

_Well_, Levi noted internally, he _certainly _got more information than he had bargained for, and he couldn't help it when a part of him suddenly pondered_ why_ she hadn't pursued any sort of relationship in the past. By all definitions, she was extremely eligible, young, _desirable _even – all the men on his squad, himself included, had watched Petra's effect on others in the Scout Regiment year after year, and knew full well that her single status wasn't a result of lacking opportunities or a lack of interested prospects. While most of the time Petra didn't even _notice_ the advances of a fellow Scout who was attempting to ask her on a date, the few times she did, she had laughed it off and commented something like, 'Well aren't you cute.'

Her unintentionally _brutal_ way of rejecting men had admittedly been a source of _great _amusement for him and his squad over the years – Petra had no idea she was considered to be quite the heart-breaker within the Scout Regiment – but he supposed that in the moment he hadn't ever stopped to consider why she never sought any sort of companionship.

It was somewhat baffling to him, if he were being honest with himself.

Someone like _him_, a loner by nature – he thought it was rather fitting that he not pursue after relationships or anything else that would complicate his role in the war against the Titans, but someone like _Petra_ – she thrived in the bonds she built with others and made friends so easily; it really was puzzling that she hadn't even tried to date anyone, even _once_, over the past five years.

Petra smiled at the Captain's suddenly contemplative expression and she gave a sort of hollow laugh, noting that the confused expression he wore didn't quite suit him. She gave a confident sort of half smile, "Hey now, what do I need a man for - I've got all of _you_, right?"

Levi watched her inquisitively, his brows pulled down in thought and obviously rather unsatisfied by her one line explanation. Petra sighed at this, giving him a shy smile as she looked at the path ahead and tried to explain herself further, "When I first came into the military I was…perhaps a little heartbroken still, and then by the time I was actually over it and ready to date again, I graduated into the Scout Regiment and all I wanted to do was focus on my studies and performance." Her smile brightened in memory and she nodded toward Levi for emphasis, "Then I got on_ your_ Squad, and that fueled me to train even harder. As the years went by, dating just…took a back seat by sheer proxy I guess. Besides, even in the event that I_ had_ been interested in trying to date someone, I'm pretty sure you would have all gone well out of your way to intimidate the poor guy and scare him off - and what, with a lineup including Humanity's Strongest, there's no_ way_ he would have stuck around."

Levi gave her a long sort of stare before giving a shrug, because as ridiculous as it was, _she was probably right_.

Petra laughed at his silent confirmation, pausing for a moment and smiling fondly all the more as she thought back over her time on the squad, "But, honestly even though the marriage caused a lot of fuss and drama and the guys still don't know what to make of it all… I think it's better like this. In some ways at least."

A sort of silence settled over the pair, and again Levi's gaze lingered heavily on his subordinate, questioning her last statement further. Even if he didn't actually _say_ anything out loud, his unspoken 'why' hung in the air and Petra gave another exhale as his stare continued to weigh down on her.

For a moment, she considered her previous words in a contemplative silence, finding that even she_ herself _wasn't completely sure what she meant. It _was_ better, she concluded confidently, but it was hard to put her finger on exactly _what_ made it such a favorable arrangement in comparison to the way things had been before the wedding. She _would _miss the chance of dating; she would miss the idea of finding the right person and falling in love with them, there were still many things that made her very sad when she thought about the implications of being married to Levi in such a manner, but…

She looked toward the Captain and shrugged, "Well for one, at the very least it makes things predictable and I know what to expect for the most part. It makes me more confident about my future and allows me to _really_ focus because…it's sort of a one-way track now with considerably less forks in the road. And what's more, thanks to this arrangement, I get to hang around all you guys a little longer, which…coincidentally has its charms."

Levi looked toward her with a quirked eyebrow, and there was a sort of half smirk on his face that made her blush all the more, unable to keep his stare and instead looking down into the path as she fiddled with the fabric of her gloves. She mentally laughed at this, amusing herself as she realized just how _easily_ the Captain got to her with seemingly no effort on his end at all; no, she doubted he even knew. They were walking close enough that she leaned to one side slightly and nudged him with her shoulder playfully, "You know as it turns out… you're not such terrible company, Captain."

...

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End of Chapter

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...

*dreamy exhale*

Okay. Yall.

You know what I'm going to say – so say it with me now – I love this chapter. The fangirl in me just reads this chapter over and is just…oh so happy. Then come _next_ chapter and, gah. It's gonna be a long seven days yall, but we'll get there one step at a time.

As for what gets to me in this chapter – everyone is different, so different things may jump out at you, but the one that gets _me_ smiling like an idiot when I read this, is that moment where Levi's watching Petra right after Michael buggers off, and he realizes quietly that her trust, her smile, the way she watches him – in that moment he figures out that it's unique to _just_ him – and he just kinda smirks and goes 'Hmph.' in a sort of pleased, accepting nod because though he doesn't mentally linger on it too long, he finds he's...more than okay with that.

For me personally, it's those small, _quiet_ moments make my writer's heart go pitter patter, and this chapter has…a good number of those! Gah, all the feels for me.

Alright, Midnight signing off. Probably going to read this chapter like twelve times, back to back. It truly is one of my actually favorites (and I've got about **45** written out now, soooo yeah, I'd say that's saying something! We're making good progress people!)

As always, see ya next Sunday. Yall have an awesome week!


	20. The One Right After The Banquet

Hay hay yall!

Happy Sunday, welcome back and hope yall's week was fantastic. I've got to say, responses from last chapter kind of blew me away. (Thanks!) I'm so glad yall enjoyed the chapter as much as I did – especially the more gentle, subtle conversation at the end between Petra and Levi because while not like, jaw dropping action, I really, really like those sorts of moments between pairings. It's the little things, you know?

And did I not warn you about my being evil and vindictively using teasers? I warned you all haha, and I do have quite the vindictive streak about me. Ah, but I jest. It's all in good fun, and for the most part I do enjoy giving a sort of head's up week to week as I think it gives a little umph to know what to expect in the chapter to come.

Either way, I'll be quiet here and let yall get to your reading. Enjoy!

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"Well I think you're really going to have to get over that, Captain." Petra laughed as they walked through the door into her bedroom, still in the middle of their conversation and laughing lightly between each other.

Levi followed behind her, closing the door as he shook his head in undeniable amusement, "Oh so_ you_ bring it up and it's fine, but_ I_ talk about it and I just have to get over it."

Petra had started to move toward her closet, though paused in step and looked over her shoulder, a devilish smile pulling at her lips, "Yeah, that sounds about right!"

Levi scoffed and stood in the middle of her room while Petra disappeared into her closet for a moment, her voice echoing in the small space as she spoke, "Thank Maria I can_ finally_ take these shoes off! My feet are killing me."

Levi cocked his head slightly, "Wait, I thought you_ liked_ your shoes?"

Petra reappeared a few moments later, considerably shorter now that she had removed her foot ware, and as she had predicted, the bottom of her dress hung a few inches across the ground as she moved. She shrugged, "I do. It was nice not being the shortest person in the room for once – sorry Captain – and what was more, did you _see_ what they did for my ass?"

Levi gave a half snort at her words, shaking his head at her forwardness, though she continued speaking undaunted, "But it certainly wasn't without consequences though. I know I'll be feeling it in my legs tomorrow, and there are a few spots where the straps bit into my skin and rubbed my feet raw."

Petra moved a foot out in front of herself in a sort of display, and Levi noticed the red patches and swollen skin from where her shoes had crossed over her foot every which way. She sighed and placed her foot back beneath her, "The shop keeper said that was bound to happen until I break them in all the way, but I don't know if I can stomach going through that again." She gave a laugh, "I think I'll just stick to my riding boots for now; leave the heels to the professionals."

Levi appraised her expression, finding a sort of curiosity wash over him as he watched his seemingly pleased subordinate. He pressed his lips together, speaking lowly, "Petra, did you have a good time?"

She gave an immediate quiet laugh, admittedly surprised by his question and the heavy stare he observed her with. There was a comfortable silence as she considered his question for a moment and shrugged, "In some ways, I suppose. I enjoyed learning about what happens every year with all the posturing and such – as it turns out I actually really like learning about _your_ role as an Officer. It's very interesting to me."

Levi nodded in agreement,_ also_ noticing that that was a rising trend within his subordinate. Petra paused in thought, grinning in recollection, "I definitely enjoyed seeing Hanji and Erwin outside of uniform, and on that note, I can't deny that _I_ enjoyed getting out of uniform myself - get to actually _feel _like a woman for a change."

Petra looked up at Levi directly then, a soft smile on her red lips as though she remembered something, "No offense to you or the rest of the squad of course, but I feel that sometimes I'm just another one of the guys and it was kinda _nice_ dressing up like this. On that note, I'm not really sure I even said thank you earlier in the shop, you know, for buying everything? I'm sorry Captain, because I _really_ loved it. The _banquet_, maybe not so much but…"

Levi gave an understanding nod, finding that he shared similar feelings about the event, and Petra's expression changed as she looked up toward him and trailed off. She bit her bottom lip, a habit she had when she was nervous or pensive, and a blush was beginning to turn her cheeks a gentle shade of pink. He wasn't sure what she was thinking about that suddenly made her so nervous, but he remained silent and continued to watch her in question. She rocked forward as though she were intending to take a step toward him, though seemed to think better of it and rested back into her heels, blushing all the more as she stole another glance toward him.

She looked to the floor as she spoke, her voice quiet as though admitting some sort of secret, "But…I _did_ enjoy being with you, Captain." She shrugged once, then pulled at the fabric of her dress gently, "I kinda, I dunno, I guess I _like_ that you got to see me like this, dressed up and everything. When we would talk, sometimes you got this…" she gave a shy smile, "_Look_ in your eye when you watched me and-"

As she spoke, she looked up toward him, watching him with that soft sort of smile of hers that made the breath catch in his lungs as a sort of tension, a spark of electricity, filled the space between them until it was almost suffocating. She didn't hold his gaze for long as she spoke, but not because she was looking across the room or to the ground again – no, this time she was looking at his _lips_.

Levi realized this almost immediately, now _very_ aware of what Petra was thinking about, the nature of her gaze and her sudden shyness; what exactly it was that she had wanted to do that made her blush and rock in place indecisively. He held back a sigh as Petra continued to watch him with unfulfilled want and obvious longing as she wrestled with her thoughts, and her own lips parted as lazy, distracted words continued to be spoken, even though it was obvious that her mind was completely elsewhere.

So was _his_.

It hadn't mattered, Levi noted to himself as his subordinate watched him with a vulnerable, distracted stare that didn't meet his eyes.

He had the Squad to consider, his position as_ her _Commanding Officer – a hundred reasons why it was a bad idea, why going down that path with Petra was too risky – a guaranteed fire hazard at best and an all-out hurricane at worst.

It hadn't mattered, Levi noted to himself with a note of finality

Because he was _already_ leaning in.

He took the step forward that Petra herself had been too cautious to take, wrapping an arm around her back and pulling her closer to him; pressing his lips against hers firmly with an exhale of relief, because _fucking hell_ she looked so damn good, and when she watched him like _that_, he knew full well that he didn't have the discipline required to ever deny her for even a second.

For a moment he could feel Petra tense in response, shocked by his actions to such an extent she wasn't sure _what_ to do, but finally gave a contented sigh in return and pressed her lips against his softly, her hands resting on his chest for a moment before she ran a hand over his shoulder and around the back of his neck as she returned his kiss timidly, as though testing the waters in confusion and uncertainty.

Their lips met just once, for a split second, and Levi opened his eyes, checking to make _sure_ that he hadn't crossed any boundaries or read her actions wrong, feeling relief when Petra also watched him with similarly hesitant, wide eyes. There was a moment where neither of them moved – simply sat in each other's close embrace in question – and Levi wasn't sure who moved first after that, but their lips were hungrily pressed together in the next moment, not so subtle or hesitant, and no longer gentle as though they were both equally as desperate to have a small piece of the other.

When Levi had kissed her at the wedding, he remembered it was forced – a _formality_; he knew full well that Erwin, who was so hung up on all the details, would have had something to say if he didn't honor the tradition, but he also knew that Petra had enough on her plate to worry about without him dropping the bomb of their upcoming kiss. As a sort of compromise, their joke of a kiss had been sudden and short and to the point - _perfectly_ _meaningless_ \- but amusing in its own right he supposed because her response had been rather memorable and comedic.

_This_ though, Levi decided as he felt Petra so close to him, her lips warm and her breath on his face as her soft lips danced against his desperately - _this_ was infinitely better. He ran his hands up her back, across the exposed skin that he had once been so intentionally cautious as to_ not_ touch, kissing her more deeply as he pulled her plump bottom lip between his, his hands now running over her bare shoulders as his thumbs drew mindless patterns against her skin.

Petra pulled away for a moment, her lips slightly swollen from his kiss as she breathed heavily in attempts to catch her breath. She looked up toward him with half lidded eyes, her mouth just slightly open as she panted from the lack of air and the sheer rush from their passionate acts. Seeing her open lips and her flushed expression, Levi couldn't deny the tempting invitation that she was to him, leaning down once more toward her for a second time and running his tongue just slightly along the edge of her parted lips because gods, he wanted more. He smirked against her skin as Petra gave an exhale of what he could only label as a sort of submission, fully giving into his hold before standing up on her toes and kissing him more passionately, her lips soft and pressing wantonly against his in a way that was so surprising coming from his more reserved subordinate, yet still so undeniably welcome.

_More_ than welcome, perhaps.

Perhaps, he realized as he found himself holding her, there was some part of him that had _needed_ this, and had needed it more than he wanted to recognize or come to terms with even now.

He kissed her more heatedly in return, returning passion for passion; their mouths open and less precise as a sort of building desire began to take them by storm. Levi's heart was pounding in his chest and he found his hands moving back up her shoulders, palming the skin across her shoulder blades again as he caressed the bare skin of her back. It was as Petra continued kissing him deeply that he lightly bit down on her bottom lip possessively, want running through him in overwhelming waves, being spurred on all the more by Petra's welcoming responses.

She gave the smallest of moans - a breathy and sensual exhale - as her bottom lip was pulled through his teeth; the sound causing a strong jolt of desire to run through Levi's entire body in a primal result. In that moment, his fingers were moving across her back all the more, intentionally searching for the dress's zipper with purpose. He knew full well that she wasn't wearing much, if _anything_, underneath her dress, and all it would take was just one flick of his wrist for the garment to come pooling down at his feet. The right touches, the right kisses and the right attention – he knew he could make her _melt_ with pleasure in such a way where there wouldn't be time for her to even _think_ about pushing him away - he would make sure of that. Fuck, it had been far too long since he had been with a woman, and her eyes, her full lips, her_ body_, the feel of her pressed up against him – he couldn't deny the obvious any longer.

It wasn't the dress, it wasn't the atmosphere, it wasn't her shoes or any other excuse he could think of to explain their suddenly igniting chemistry that was making his head spin and his body ache with palpable desire.

It was just Petra herself.

It had _always _been just Petra, and oh did he fucking_ want _her.

They had been spending so much time together, and this entire night, she had been so…_fuck_! He found himself returning a slight moan into her mouth, as her kiss ignited his senses and his own thoughts ran away with him all the more. She had been so flirtatious, so bold, so audaciously telling the entire staff that she was _his_ wife – and now here she was, in his arms, pressed up against him and _eagerly_ seeking _his_ touch when she could have been with any man she had wanted throughout any of the years previous-

He had every intention on pulling the zipper downward, desire fueling him in a sort of lust ridden haze, urging him to go however far he could with the extremely fuckable woman in his arms – when he blinked in realization, his eyes suddenly wide as he remembered just _who_ it was that he was thinking so crassly about. This wasn't just some _woman_, this was his own subordinate, his _Petra_ – and he was intending to cross a bold, _important_ line without so much as a passing thought as to where she stood on the matter.

He immediately took his hands off from her and took a considerable step back, mentally chiding himself – ashamed that he, for even a _moment_, had gotten so lax and careless with his _own_ subordinate as to allow his desires to take over him so effortlessly. His own breathing was heavy and he looked toward Petra with narrowed, hard eyes as he forced control over himself before he did something he could never recover from.

"_I'm your Commanding Officer."_ He stated lowly with a clipped tone, panting as he looked toward her narrowly.

Petra watched him in sudden confusion, and he felt a pang of guilt when unmistakable surprise and hurt flashed through her eyes as she now stood in the middle of her room, _alone_. His harsh, _harsh_ tone, his narrowed gaze – it wasn't _her_ that he was mad at, it was only himself, but Petra had been the immediate subject of his gaze, and as a result, she believed he was watching her like that because he was displeased with _her; _blaming her for their passionate lapse of boundaries. Levi swore under his breath and dropped his gaze to the ground immediately, but the damage was already done.

Petra's green eyes went wide and she gave a single, guilty nod as she looked to the floor in obvious dejection. She chewed her bottom lip and she cleared her throat as though trying to find some kind of response, but coming up painfully short as a silence extended over them.

For a moment Levi considered approaching her again, whispering some nonsense in her ear that was reassuring to some extent and holding her close against him again, but now she looked even _more _vulnerable and desirable and it would be so easy to manipulate her. It would be so effortless to give her such light touches that soothed at first but gradually became more heated, to tell her all the right things that he could make sound_ so_ sincere in the moment, to twist her mind and heart because she trusted him to never play her like that…fuck, he just couldn't trust himself right now.

Now, even _now_, he realized with a frustrated sort of shame… he_ still_ wanted her. Badly.

Damn, he just needed to get out of her room completely. He knew full well that he wouldn't actually _do_ anything to her, but the longer he stayed, the pain of wanting what he couldn't have just grew stronger and frustrated him all the more. He was _certain_ that Petra hadn't known the extent of just how far he had been willing to go – she hadn't realized what he thought about, what he had been so close to _doing_.

Still…as badly as he wanted the gorgeous woman in front of him, he wanted to retain her trust even more. He wanted to be someone _worthy_ of that overwhelming confidence she watched him with, with that special stare of hers that he could only relate to Petra specifically. He had watched over her and trained her intentionally for five years now, and to practically throw it all away for something like this…? As her Commanding Officer, he was supposed to protect her, yet instead he so carelessly almost took advantage of her and… Fuck, he was _livid!_

Still staring into the ground, he shook his head as his teeth were pressed together. He repeated himself for _his _sake. He needed to _hear_ it - to be reminded of the obvious because some part of him seemed to have forgotten, "I'm your _Captain._"

"Levi, you're my husband…" Petra whispered softly then, a brokenness to her voice. He wasn't sure if she was trying to convince _him_ otherwise, or if she was trying to defend _herself_. Either way it didn't matter, because she wasn't the one who had crossed any boundaries. She wasn't the one who needed the reminder in the first place.

He exhaled and looked toward her, attempting to soften his expression because he wasn't trying to take his anger out on her, yet he was rightfully angry just the same. He _needed_ to be angry - he needed to be _outraged_ because anything less wouldn't have been fair. Had he not just given people hell, been willing to come to her defense when_ others_ had treated her so disrespectfully? Was he suddenly exempt, when he wanted her in the_ same _manner other men did, but because it was him and _not_ them, it was suddenly _okay?_

Fuck, he _knew _better.

He shook his head and watched her with a heavily guarded and cautious stare, "It's only on _paper_, Petra."

Tears were beginning to form in her eyes and Petra blinked a few times in attempts to reign her emotions in, a sarcastic and bitter smile coming across her face, "Only on paper…" she repeated in a tense whisper.

There was a long silence that fell over the pair, neither seemingly sure what to do. While Levi wanted nothing more than to get out of her room – to mentally berate himself for his lack of control and reestablish some boundaries that had fallen lax for_ her_ own protection – there was still that part of him that wanted to linger, wanted to remain in her good graces even though he sure as hell didn't deserve it.

He supposed it was just that same selfish side of him acting out again, and it left him feeling torn and conflicted as the silence extended and the tension continued building between the suddenly distanced pair.

There was a seriousness that hung in the air and Petra gave a long exhale, finally breaking the silence as she gave an empty, hollow laugh. "I feel silly." she admitted finally before bringing her hands to her face and groaning, "But you're right…" she mumbled lowly to herself, and Levi wasn't sure why there was a sinking feeling in his stomach.

She was refusing to look at him now and she brought an arm over herself almost self-consciously as she spoke, "You_ are_ my Commanding Officer, and we talked about this, right? How there wouldn't be…" her voice trailed off again and she shrugged, "It's just that, I kinda thought…"

She blinked the tears away and cleared her throat then, lifting her head as though finally preparing to look at him, but at the last second losing her nerve as she dropped her gaze back onto the floor just the same. She nodded toward the door and tried to bring a sort of chipperness to her voice, the fake pleasantries only making him more frustrated as he watched her with a heightened sense of guilt and concern, "Right. So…anyway, thank you for walking me back, Captain. Um, it's been a busy day, you know? I've got to clean all of this off so I can report for duty tomorrow so…"

Levi was still standing in his place, unsure if he should actually leave or not because he knew Petra well – not that he even _had_ to know her well with an expression like that; it was _obvious_ she was hurt and putting up the bravest face she could simply because he was still in the room. He moved to take a step toward her, wanting to…well, he wasn't _sure_ what but aware he knew he needed to do _something_. The instant he shifted however, he watched Petra recoil into herself and look even further across the room in attempts to avoid meeting his gaze, gun-shy and guarded from him specifically so it seemed.

He frowned at this, angry and frustrated all the more with the entire circumstance because his subordinate should never have to flinch or back away from him like she was doing now, and worse still, it was his fault. He had never been good at this sort of thing; he still felt guilty and by extension _unqualified_ to console her, and another silence fell across the room as he wondered how to handle the situation.

He should be the_ last_ person trying to comfort her all things considered…but he was the only one there and she looked so vulnerable and dejected; he had to try. His voice was more soft, cautious and gentle in attempts to reach her, "Petra are you…okay?"

There was a bitter snort that came out of her – even Petra seemed to find his question ironic so it seemed, and she shook her head in dark amusement, an anger present in her tone. "Look, you…" she exhaled sadly then, the suddenly tense edge leaving her voice as it seemed she simply couldn't remain angry with him.

"Levi, you're my Commanding Officer – you shouldn't have to worry yourself with that sort of thing, right? I'll be-" she trailed off again, leaving her previous sentence unfinished. She cleared her throat and she slowly, cautiously rose her gaze and looked at him directly.

For a long moment, she just stared at him. There was confusion, hurt, embarrassment, obvious things left unsaid that swirled deeply in the depths of her green eyes, but she bit her lip and again nodded toward the door firmly.

Her voice was quiet, but certain, "You should go."

Levi pressed his lips together, unsatisfied by the obvious rift caused by the interaction, but unable to find the right words as Petra watched him with hard eyes that left little room for discussion.

"…Right." He walked toward the edge of her room, opening the door and walking out quietly, turning slightly as he closed the door behind himself as he stole one last glance toward her on his way out. He stood outside her door for a few moments as the weight of all that had happened hung over him like a dark shroud, smirking beside himself when after a few minutes, he heard a few steps from inside her room and then a metallic sort of click a few seconds later.

Petra locked the door.

He wasn't sure if she knew that he was still right there, a mere two feet away, and he concluded all at once that there was no _way_ she knew, because he heard a sort of brushing against the door and he could see her shadow underneath the door frame grow considerably darker; Levi guessed that she had sunk to the ground, resting against the back of the door most likely - something she wouldn't have done if she knew he was still lingering.

It was then that a faint sniffling grabbed his attention that eventually grew into stronger, consistent cries.

She was _crying_, he realized, and a concerned frown came to his face as renewed guilt washed over him with a vengeful vigor. He knew full well that Petra had incorrectly assumed he was angry at her and that he subsequently _rejected_ her, though that couldn't have been any further from the truth.

He had been so eager, far too quick to jump at the opportunity, and Petra deserved nothing less than respect. The fact that for even a moment he had sunk to something so low – would even _consider_ treating her, a true meaningful friend, like that…

He didn't deserve her tears. Not someone like him.

Perhaps though, Levi thought as he stood just on the other side of her door, listening to her cry and debating what sort of role he should play...

Perhaps…it was better like this.

She was upset now, but she was strong. Given time she would grow complacent and eventually move past it, move past whatever it was that she seemed to see in him, and their strange song and dance would finally come to an anticlimactic, stalemate sort of end – a fire that merely smoldered out until it was nothing at all but a distant memory, like ashes dispersed in the wind, with no chance of being rekindled again. Things would finally go back to normal, for _real_ normal - just as he had once stated that they would.

They would go about their day to day responsibilities as members of the military, he would still challenge and lead his team with every trick and tool he had at his disposal, and that would be that. He would…_miss_ her, he realized numbly as he stared into the door with a conflicted expression, but that was the price to pay for letting himself get too comfortable and stringing her along; he supposed it was only fair that he too suffer through a bit of misery after all was said and done.

Feeling a bitter sort of resolve and clarity wash over him, Levi put his hands in his pockets and left her.

He left her knowingly, on the ground, crying over him because he had wronged her – and he was walking away just the same.

He really_ was_ the worst kind of person.

It was for the best, he knew, though the guilt in his stomach and the pain in his chest would linger for some time, and it would be days before he could look her in the eye again.

...

* * *

End of Chapter

* * *

...

*pokes head out from ridiculously large shield*

Okay so I know that may not have been what yall were expecting from their first kiss but…

*dodges baby grand piano*

But you've GOT to admit that was one_ hell _of a first kiss, right? Call me what you will for how it ended, but if I do say so myself, the buildup was there, and the payoff was everything. I hope yall are satisfied with the passion there, because oh was it _there_. But. No matter how many times I wrote this scene out back in the day, it always ended up something like what you just read – which I'll have you know (fun fact) wasn't my 'original' ending when I planned this section out in my head all those months back. I originally thought it would have been funny, or with Petra being so surprised that Levi had kissed her, that she almost was just like 'oh' and Levi smirked and walked out, amused by her innocence – something like that was the _original_ ending for the banquet arc.

It's just…the more I worked with my characters, the more I realized that a certain Captain…_doesn't_ mess around. He devotes himself fully to whatever task is at hand, and if he got it in his head that Petra's an attractive woman that he wants to pursue, even if for only a moment, I could only see it going one way because he's an all or nothing sort of guy; that's just how he is.

With that in mind, it made things rather black and white because it became an all roads lead to Rome scenario.

And I won't feel bad for giving you guys in character situations like this, at least, to the best of my ability. Fear not guys, we've got a long road ahead of us – so let's get there one step at a time :)

Till next week guys,

Midnight


	21. The One that Levi's Pissed, Petra's Fine

Okay this week really seemed to drag by, didn't it?

I feel like these past few chapters I've gained more readers, so that's always really exciting. *waves* I have got to say, THANKS for not freaking out last week yall. I've been dreading that chapter for a while in terms of posting, as I know that no one really enjoys those chapters. I can't say I particularly enjoyed _writing_ it – and I would be remiss if I tried to pretend that the rest of the story was all sunshine and rainbows here on because that would be soo sickeningly sweet I'd get cavities just from reading it.

Anywho, yall enjoy the read!

...

* * *

...

It had been over two weeks.

Two _weeks_.

Seventeen days to be exact, and the fact that Levi even knew that at _all _only served to piss him off.

The days had all passed by as routinely as ever – meeting his squad in the morning, running over conditioning and sequences, tweaking the Omega formation, followed by cleaning and other more routine duties that his squad was tasked with on a regular basis – but he found more often than not that he spent the entirety of each day tense and irritable.

He had known full well that things had become…_different_ between himself and Petra - ever since she had spent over four straight days at his bedside and then almost every evening since, right beside him in his office while they worked on his paperwork together – he wasn't blind to the fact that things had shifted between them as a result. It's just that, he wasn't aware of how _much_ things had shifted, how much he had grown to _enjoy_ her company over the past three months – until he found all his spare hours being suddenly spent alone.

While he wouldn't say that Petra was going as far as intentionally avoiding him, there was a notable distance that had been wedged between them ever since the aftermath of the banquet. She didn't seek him out for conversation, walked back after training with the Squad instead of him, and she had stopped coming into his office after dinner hours entirely.

When they saw each other in the mornings before duty, she always issued a pleasant and warm, "Good morning Captain!"

It was always welcoming; it was always professional – and it _always_ pissed him off.

He knew there was more she was thinking, more that she wanted to say than a mere 'Good morning Captain' – and he had unknowingly been waiting for her to watch him with a sort of embittered gaze or maybe blush and look away each time he came into the room, _something_ to acknowledge the fact that there had been a sort of falling out between them, but it never came, not even once - and _that_ pissed him off too.

In terms of duty, she consistently baffled him. She was just as hard of a worker, didn't get distracted by her emotions, didn't attempt to watch him with a lingering stare from things left unsaid – for the most part it really was like there was nothing wrong between them. If it weren't for the fact that her daily schedule had so notably changed to _not_ involve him, he might have _actually_ believed that Petra really was fine.

He supposed her ability to wear a brave face and not allow their situation to impact her work ethic was admirable to some extent; her ability to carry on in the midst of their tension being something a bit of a shock to him because he was _not_ graced with that same skill set. He was irritated that Petra was so professionally going about her day without so much as a step out of line, while somehow _still_ managing to give him the cold shoulder that made him perpetually question where he stood in her eyes.

Was she angry? Sad? Was she too afraid to talk to him perhaps?

Either reaction, _any_ reaction would have been acceptable to him and while he had been initially irritated by her calm exterior, he figured that she would wear herself out eventually and her real feelings would bubble up to the surface if given enough time. He had assumed that after a few days of false pretenses, she might pull him aside, blow up in his face, or perhaps smart off during drills, but the days passed one by one without so much as a _hint_ toward her actual thoughts, only giving him yet another annoyingly charming 'Good morning Captain!' with each new day.

For as long as he had known his subordinate, he had never had a more difficult time reading her than he did right now, and it was utterly and completely exasperating.

Whereas Petra could apparently carry on with business as usual with little effort, Levi could not. He found he was constantly tense, frustrated by the smallest of things, and in a perpetually bad mood. He had assigned more laps in these past two weeks alone than he had assigned throughout the entire last _quarter_, a majority of his squad was bruised head to toe from some perhaps deserved, but still _brutal_ beatings, and more than once he had caught himself staring at Petra with a narrowed gaze that lingered on her specifically, as though if he looked close enough he'd figure out what he wanted to know and finally be able to move on.

Thanks to Levi's constant dark outlook, the squad was also painfully aware that something was wrong between the pleasant, but admittedly quiet Petra, and the dark foreboding Captain that looked as though he were ready to snap at any given moment. It had happened multiple times over the past few weeks, but Levi had been pulled aside more than once by his various squad members, being asked with spooked expressions what_ happened_ between the two of them and if he was okay because _Petra_ seemed fine but _he_… They never quite had the nerve to finish their question –

_And that pissed him off too_.

Levi gave a sharp exhale and forcefully leaned back into his office chair, irritated that the surface of his desk was absolutely littered with reports and graphs that he needed to work on but didn't have the motivation to actually complete. He had gotten so used to Petra helping him out with his paperwork that he wasn't used to the burden solely falling on him again, and without her constant presence and admirable work ethic, he was already behind.

Try as he may, he couldn't focus, and frankly didn't give a damn about the numbers.

He crossed his arms and shook his head in thought, finding that he was dwelling on the event yet again for what felt like the tenth time _today_.

When he had walked away from her room all those nights ago, he had expected _she_ would be hurting for some time but things would go back to normal to some degree. It wasn't that he ever_ wished_ any pain on Petra – quite the opposite – he had wronged _her_ and it was for her sake that he hoped she moved on quickly, but because he_ did_ want Petra to heal and move on, it bothered him that he couldn't tell if she was okay, or if she was still bleeding because of their fallout.

What was more, he truly hadn't expected that he _himself_ would feel…

He bit back a sigh and rocked in his chair for a split second, looking at the spot where Petra would always sit, the empty chair just to the side of his desk bringing a mixed sort of nostalgia and bitterness to mind. His office had previously been so consistently full of her laughter, their conversations, her smiles and their unexpected comfort and familiarity, and eventually, their unrecognized flirting and teasing. What was once the norm had changed again, into something that made the devoid room resoundingly so desolate and so…

So lonely.

It had been two weeks of him, alone in his office – his subordinates avoiding him like the plague because of his bad mood - and as a result, there was nothing to distract himself from the fact that everything that had slowly become his _new_ routine, had been ripped out from underneath him all at once. He hadn't recognized it in the moment, but _everything_ had involved her. Morning drills, putting their gear away, settling down after dinner to do the office work – it all involved a certain ginger, and after being by her side so consistently for weeks on end, he was more than used to her company. They would talk about anything and everything, she would laugh at whatever he said that she apparently found to be amusing; other times she'd need his help and he'd move up over her shoulder, leaning over her as they worked the problem out together. More than once he had intentionally leaned down closer than necessary, simply to watch her blush as she tried to play it off, like his extreme closeness_ didn't _cause her to become flustered and embarrassed, and he would pretend not to notice and lean even closer still, as though so engrossed by the numbers that he simply hadn't _realized _how close he had gotten.

What was more, while he hadn't recognized it in the day to day grind, it wasn't just himself and Petra that found a new sort of routine since the wedding; it was his entire squad. They were all_ used _to himself and Petra walking together, having conversations that rarely involved anyone but the two of them, the squad knew that they would see Petra for dinner but after she cleaned up, it was public knowledge that she'd be in his office until curfew.

When Petra suddenly _reappeared_ in the squad without warning, it had disrupted the squad's actual normal – something Levi hadn't realized would happen in the moment – and as a result, it wasn't just _Levi _that had been walking on eggshells over the past few weeks now. His squad seemed to tip toe around him, tip toe around Petra… it had been over two weeks of Fucking. Miserable. _Hell._

The only one that seemed completely unfazed was Petra, although Levi knew full well that it was just a mask. The pain was there he knew, he just couldn't_ see_ it.

It was frustrating because his inability to decisively handle his role with Petra was bleeding out and poisoning the entire team, but thanks to Petra's shockingly formidable poker face, he had no idea how to fix it or what angle he could even _address_ it from. He could only sit there and watch as his team continued to get more uncomfortable, speak less and less, have more individual and hushed conversations, and watch him with pitying doe eyes when they saw him walking in the hallway.

And, surprise surprise, _that_ pissed him off too.

Levi groaned and rubbed his eyes.

This was_ exactly_ why he had wanted to avoid getting into a relationship with her in the first place!

And the strange thing was, he was still quite sure that he wasn't, and had never _been_, in a relationship with Petra. They had been spending a lot of time together to be sure, but it was born out of her desire to learn a new skill set and grow in her career – not press any boundaries and try to develop a romantic relationship with him on the side.

It was just…he had underestimated her ability to grow on him, he supposed. There was an undeniable comfort he felt with her. He wasn't so guarded, wasn't so suspicious – and when Petra seemed to grow in that same comfort around him, whether it be shoving his arm or teasing him, daring to drop their cut-out roles of rank and titles, it hadn't bothered him enough to say something. If anything, no, he had actually _enjoyed_ the change in their interactions, and he supposed he had unintentionally encouraged Petra to some extent by not correcting her.

At the time, it was nothing more to him than seemingly harmless fun that wouldn't ever go anywhere - he didn't think it would even matter…But that night, when she looked so good and she watched him with that expression, so clearly thinking about what it would be like to actually_ kiss_ him, the way she was talking about him and defending him, the way she was just so _Petra_, he knew he was a lost cause and had gotten caught up in his own game.

He had kissed her, and that changed things.

Or perhaps, Levi corrected his thoughts pensively, it merely _highlighted_ how much things had _already_ changed between them. The fact Petra had _wanted_ him to see her in such a light, as something more than just his subordinate, and the fact that he was comfortable enough to reciprocate and pursue her affection so brazenly - he knew full well that would have never happened had they gone to that exact same banquet three months prior.

It wasn't the kiss at all, he reasoned with himself, no, it was everything that had led up to it.

He liked Petra, truly. He wouldn't deny his friendship with her, even now – but he didn't want a relationship of that sort with her, or _anybody_ for that matter. It was too troublesome, and what the fuck did _he_ know about that sort of thing? Even this small…_whatever_ it was that was between them…had already caused so much trouble and conflict and while he wasn't trying to downplay the heartache – the fact was it _had _been admittedly minimal; a few months of teasing and a moment of passion - so Levi could only _imagine_ the sort of hellfire that might result if they ever tried to _actually_ agree to an official 'relationship' or whatever.

He rolled his shoulders and pressed his back into his chair, exhaling through his nose and shaking his head as he continued to reflect on his interactions with the impossible ginger.

Maybe Petra had the right idea all along in her irritating pretenses, acting like things were just fine. Even if she wasn't fine, even if she secretly hated him, or secretly wanted him, or whatever it was she was thinking – she pretended without fail that there was nothing wrong and went about her day same as always. It was callous, and perhaps a little hurtful even, but he had to admit, out of everyone in the squad, she certainly seemed to be fairing the best.

At the very least, he thought it wise they were taking a large step back like this and giving the other a sort of distance to sort things out on their own.

But…

Even now, and as much as it frustrated him, he knew that there was a spark of hope within him where he secretly wished that whenever Petra really did go back to whatever new normal she would fall into, perhaps, maybe, she'd find her way _back _to his office one of these nights.

She would burst in because of who knows what reason, and he would make a point of being busy, perhaps hold up a hand and lean down deeper toward his desktop and stare narrowly into his paper with a sort of glare; allow the silence to draw out _intentionally_. She would sit down or sigh in attempts of being respectful, and eventually ask what he was working on. That would be enough, all it would take for her to shake her head and walk around his desk; lean over him and say something like, 'I thought you had that organized in that one chart? Honestly Captain…here.'

It wouldn't _all_ be an act, he reasoned with himself deftly. He _was_ already behind again in his office duties and she had grown to be so efficient now – more efficient than even he was in so many ways. He wanted her to pick up her habit again, and like before, he could actually look forward to something from Petra that wasn't an infuriatingly empty, 'Good Morning, Captain!'

He _wanted_ her to be there, he noted mentally, finding that it was something between them that he enjoyed and anticipated, but was still safely contained within the parameters of their military roles and ranks. That made it a little less risky, but still kept their interactions a little more consistent and personal than what was often exchanged between them throughout active duty.

That was a win win to some extent, he reasoned. It was different than before, but it would be enough he was sure.

And what was more, it_ had_ to be enough, because he didn't want to keep hurting her.

…

* * *

...

"How did we get stuck with this?" Eld grumbled with a sort of impatience, looking at Petra and frowning.

Petra gave an amused shrug, "It's called _making a deal_. Oluo and Gunther agreed that if we stood in the food line for them, they'd clean the common room to Levi's standards and as a result we'd all have a little extra free time tonight."

Eld crossed his arms, "Well _I _didn't agree to it."

Petra's smile only grew and she watched him with a sort of cheeky smirk, "That's because I agreed on your behalf. There's no way I can carry four plates of food across the campus on my own, and let's not forget that you're a piss poor cleaner. If I let you do the cleaning, I'd have to stand in line _and_ redo whatever cleaning duties that you half assed."

Eld looked around the bustling food hall with a pouting sort of expression, "But its _pasta_ day. The line is always like twenty times longer than it normally is; we'll be here forever."

"Pretty sure I've been listening to you _complain_ forever." Petra pinched him reprovingly and Eld slapped her hand away with a fake wince, "And besides, the wait is almost over. We're only like five minutes away from the head of the line so I'm not sure what the big deal is."

There was a long pause and a sly smile came to Eld's face, "Oh it's not a big deal. I just like getting under your skin. You're downright _adorable_ when you're upset."

Petra's eyes narrowed at his instantaneous change of spirit and she rolled her eyes, "Wish I could say the same. You get this real ugly look on your face, this sort of constipated – ugh, it's a sight to be sure."

Eld chuckled, "Then I guess it's a good thing that between the two of us, _you're_ the one with a short fuse."

Petra chuckled and moved another step forward, though as she moved, there was a light tap on her shoulder.

"Hey, uh, sorry - Mrs. Ackerman? Can I call you Petra?"

Both Petra and Eld turned toward the person who had stopped in front of them. It was a woman around Eld's age, and while her face was somewhat familiar, Petra couldn't hazard a guess as to who she was.

"Squad Leader Tiffany, it's been a while!" Eld smiled warmly – apparently _Eld_ knew who she was then, and the woman nodded toward him politely.

Seeing this, Petra gave a polite smile in return. If she was a friend of Eld's, then she was a friend of hers. "Yeah, you can call me Petra. What's up?"

The woman took a deep breath and pressed her lips together, turning more toward Petra directly as she spoke. "Listen, I just wanted to maybe stop by and…apologize to you." Petra blinked in confusion because she was quite sure that whoever this woman was, a Squad Leader apparently, they had never exchanged a single line of dialogue.

Seeing her confusion, the woman continued, "I know we haven't had any direct interactions per say, but when I heard about your marriage to Captain Levi…" she trailed off and shrugged, "Well, I heard the rumors and I guess I made some assumptions as a result. I've thought some terrible things, I've even _said_ some terrible things, and when I saw you at the Officer's banquet I was actually pretty upset because I thought that Commander Erwin was showing favoritism or turning a blind eye to dishonorable behavior and all but flaunting it in front of everyone because Captain Levi is the famed 'Humanity's Strongest' and seems to receive all-out _praise_ for going rogue or breaking the rules."

Petra watched the woman with a sort of stunned surprise, not sure what to make of her words or how she should respond, and the Squad Leader cleared her throat, "Either way, that night I overheard some of the things that Squad Leader Michael was saying to you, the offer that he made you, and then I heard how you _responded_. That was, wow that was _something_. He's been getting away with that sort of bribery for a long time, but no one has ever had the guts to stand up to him until now so it seems. All that to say…It made me realize that you weren't at all the kind of person that people had said you were, and when I realized it, I knew I had to apologize to you directly." She sobered her expression and looked up toward Petra intentionally, making a point of looking her in the eye. "I shouldn't have judged you or made assumptions about the kind of person you were, and I'm sorry. I'm sorry for allowing other people to shape my opinion of you. I know the party was a few weeks ago now - I would have talked to you sooner, but I haven't seen you running around too much on campus so…"

Petra was still in shock, having a difficult time putting her thoughts together as she realized that someone was actually apologizing to her, and what was more, apologizing to her in such a public setting. Petra had somewhat come to terms with the fact that people would always bear a grudge against her for things she hadn't even done – she hadn't even considered that her actions that night might change people's opinion about who she was. She could only hope that she presented herself in a manner that _continued_ to make people question the rumors they had heard. At the very least, this gave her a newfound hope that perhaps things weren't as set in stone as she had thought.

Petra laid her thoughts to rest and shook her head, "Oh, no – we've been really busy and…wow, you know I don't know what to say. I actually _really_ appreciate it, more than you know. Hearing this means a lot to me, for real."

The woman gave a small smile, "Well, I'm glad, and I'm even _more_ glad that someone actually has the guts to stand up to that slime ball for a change. For whatever it's worth, you're alright in my book."

The woman extended her hand forward and Petra smiled, extending her arm and shaking her hand firmly, "Thanks so much."

The Squad leader took a step back, "Well listen, I won't keep you. I just wanted to stop by and say that - now that I finally ran into you for a change. Let's all cross our fingers and hope that the pasta's actually cooked through this time, right?"

They all shared a cordial laugh as she moved to walk back into the crowded room and Eld waved, "Always a pleasure Squad Leader, you take care."

"You too Eld, be sure to tell your Captain that I said hi. It was nice officially meeting you Petra!"

They waited a few minutes and once she was out of ear shot, Eld crossed his arms and looked down at Petra with an expectant stare, "Alright, now _what_ exactly happened between you and Squad Leader Michael?"

...

* * *

...

It was as they were leaving the mess hall, both carrying a plate of food in each hand as they walked, that Eld was loudly laughing, "You said _what_?!"

Petra shrugged with wide eyes, "I was angry! Like I'd_ ever_ allow someone to disrespect Captain like that, and _then_ try to pick me up in the very next breath? He's lucky I didn't beat his ass to a pulp for his slander; you should have _heard_ how he was talking about Levi. Levi is Humanity's Strongest – it took Erwin and Mike_ and_ the Scout's highest elites just to take him down, right? Not only that, but Levi is an amazing Captain that's put his life on the line numerous times for humanity, so for some jealous has-been to come in and try to use me in some petty revenge scenario is just…just gross. Made me so pissed off."

"Oh, because if he had _complimented_ Levi first, that would have made the _rest_ of the conversation okay." Eld teased her, and Petra scoffed.

"_No_. I would have told him off either way, I just didn't appreciate his obvious bashing and felt the need to remind him that Levi is a high-ranking Officer and deserves to be treated with respect."

Eld's expression mellowed a little, and he watched Petra critically, "Interesting words there Petra, considering _you've_ been giving him the cold shoulder ever since the banquet. Want to explain what that's about?"

Petra blinked once and actually _paused_ in step as though surprised by his callout, then gave a soft smile and cleared her throat, "The cold shoulder? Hardly, Eld. I see him just as often as you guys do, right? We haven't been fighting, things have been perfectly professional so-

"Exactly." Eld cut her off, a concerned expression crossing his face as he turned his head to watch Petra directly, "You and Levi are _friends_, and after the wedding it's obvious that you guys got even closer. I don't think I've spent any real time with you in over a month because you're_ always_ with the guy, but after that night…" He paused and shook his head, "I don't know how to describe it, but there's a certain distance between you now and tension and...it's weird."

Petra remained silent and stared into the ground as they walked, not responding to his claims as a sort of gloominess came over her. Eld sighed as he watched her mood deteriorate at the mere _mention _of her altered standings with the Captain.

"Petra come on, what _happened_? And if you dare try to tell me that it was nothing I may have to play the big brother card and beat it out of you, because I know better. The whole _squad _knows better and honestly, you're sorta scaring the shit out of everyone right now."

Petra remained silent and stared down into the ground and Eld leaned down to grab her attention, "Hey."

Petra looked up toward him with a grim expression and Eld frowned, "Petra, I'm _worried_ about you."

Her eyes went wide and she shook her head sadly, before looking around the area for potential eavesdroppers and looking toward Eld directly, "It's…look, if I tell you, will you_ promise_ not to judge me? And you can't tell anyone else. I know that Gunther and Oluo will want to know but I'm not…_proud_ of what I did, so I don't need any speeches about what an idiot I am or anything because, _trust me_, I already know. I learned my lesson, okay? I messed up and I won't do it again so there's nothing to worry about. That's why…it's like this right now. It's my fault."

Eld watched her in still growing concern, her sort of defensive tirade not making any sense to him. "Petra, what the –_ what_ happened?"

When she only stared at him flatly, Eld groaned, "Right, I promise. Scout's honor. No judgment, not a soul – Petra you're seriously worrying me. You know you can tell me anything, so…please."

So, Petra explained it.

She tried to capture and recount the excitement that had been in the air, how at the party Levi had been so protective of her, how much of an untraditional, yet undeniable gentleman he had been – how they had been teasing each other, laughing, how much fun it had been - even with all the whispers and the glares and the bullying - and how she legitimately _enjoyed_ being by his side that night.

She talked about how there was a sudden spark between them; she wasn't sure about Levi but at the very least it had taken_ her_ by surprise because it had been completely unexpected. She had explained that even though she had been spending so much time around Levi, it had all been just _casual_ before, but something about that night seemed to ignite the sort of something between them and Petra hadn't expected how natural it felt, the wanting to be close to him, the desire to capture his eye.

They were near the compound door and they paused in place, still mid conversation. They didn't move into the building, rather remained outside so their conversation could continue without being overheard by the rest of the squad.

Petra inhaled in preparation before sighing in defeat as she thought the night over, finally getting to the part where things took a turn for the worse. "Either way, we got back after the party and we were still talking, so he just walked with me back into my room – I don't think either of us thought much of it. I took off my shoes, we kept talking and… _I can't believe I'm saying this_." she shrugged with wide eyes, hesitant to continue and actually admit such a thing, _out loud_, and to _Eld_ of all people.

Petra shook her head and a blush rose to her face, "I…well, it's just Levi is…" she would have brought her hands up to her face in embarrassment, although with her carrying the plates of food she could only shake her head as the blush continued to warm her face, "I mean, it's just so sudden because I've seen him for_ years_ and it's never really been a thing before, but…"

Eld smirked as he realized just what it was that Petra was attempting to convey. More than anything he wanted to hear her out, and he knew he couldn't risk her thinking he was teasing her. His voice was gentle as he tried to fill in the gaps, "You find him _attractive?"_

Petra bit her lip and gave an ashamed nod, which caused Eld to give a light chuckle, "Well you're in good company Petra. I'm pretty sure just about _every_ female in the military finds him attractive; it's not a big deal."

She shook her head and there was a sudden frustration to her voice, an underlying shame that caused her to speak quietly in a sort of guilty admission. She sighed, "No, it's more than that Eld. That night I…I _kissed_ him."

Eld's eyebrows rose in admitted surprise, and Petra gave a worried look at her squad mate's reaction. "I mean, I guess _he_ technically kissed me first, but I'm pretty sure he caught my stare and…" her voice trailed off as Eld watched her in continued shock, "And…it wasn't just like, a single kiss either. It was…" A flood of emotions washed over her as she mentally relived the event, leaving her thoughts conflicted and muddying her ability to speak clearly. Even now, she wasn't sure what she thought about it. "It was _passionate_ and nice and, wow…he can _really_ kiss a girl and…and if I'm being honest, I…_liked_ it. A lot." Her voice was a mere whisper by the end, and Eld sighed.

"Petra…I may be the last one you'd expect to say this, but I think you should go for it. You_ are _married and-"

"He pushed me away." She cut him off with an exhale, and Eld blinked.

"He…what?"

"He pushed me away." She repeated slowly with a defeated sort of shrug, "Levi…Captain _doesn't_ want me, okay?" she paused as she thought the night over and frowned in recollection, "One second he was right there, kissing me and holding me, and the next he was all the way across the room, _seething_ in anger. He told me like four times that he was my _Commanding Officer_, and that our marriage was solely an _on-paper _kind of deal. You should have _seen_ the way he looked at me Eld, I don't know if I've _ever_ made him that angry before."

Eld watched her in confusion, because she seemed so confident in her words…. But what she was saying somehow just didn't make any sense to him. He couldn't pretend to know Levi's inner thoughts, but no one could deny how obvious it was that the Captain all but _craved_ Petra's attention, especially as of late. Eld had seen it, and he knew that Gunther and Oluo had noticed it as well because they had_ talked _about it so many times.

If there was one thing that Levi _couldn't_ do, it was_ deny _Petra.

And that wasn't just a recent thing - they had_ years_ of consistent behavior that proved it. The pair's dynamic had always been interesting, since the day she had joined the squad in fact, and now that they were married, Eld had watched time and time again as Petra continued to wrap the reclusive Captain around her little finger – that same one that not so coincidentally wore_ his_ wedding ring even now.

Eld struggled to find his words, certain that he was missing a critical piece of the puzzle. He found he could only ask her again because there was just no way Levi had turned her down.

"Petra are…are you _sure_?"

She gave a sort of sarcastic laugh, "Am I sure? Eld. It's been almost three weeks and he hasn't said a word to me about it; just walks in the common room, grabs a cup of coffee, _barely_ acknowledges me when I say good morning to him – so yeah, I'm pretty damn sure."

Eld gave her a long stare, "Petra, you can't tell me you haven't noticed. The guy's been pissed off and ready to snap at any given moment – have you considered the fact that maybe he wants to talk with you about it but just doesn't know how? Have you considered that maybe the distance is getting to him?"

Petra snorted, "Um, that theory_ might_ hold water if it weren't for the fact that _he's_ the one who rejected _me_. He communicated pretty clearly that night that he wanted nothing to do with me – and besides, I feel like we're getting off track here. I know it may sound like I'm being defensive when I say this, but…honestly more than anything, more than being embarrassed that Levi pushed me away, more than being sad and hurt after being rejected…as each day goes by, I just feel _guilty_."

"Guilty? Why?"

She took a deep breath and tried to explain her thoughts, "Because. This whole time, I've been lecturing you all, getting pissed off every time that anyone even _suggested_ that something was happening between me and Levi – yet the first time an opportunity even _remotely_ presented itself, turns out it was all talk. _Yes_, Levi kissed me, but I _wanted_ him to. I probably would have kissed him myself if he hadn't beaten me to it. And…what's more, he's not _just_ my Commanding Officer, he's _Humanity's Strongest_. He has a responsibility to his role in the Scout Regiment; he already told me that he wasn't interested in a relationship, I agreed that I didn't want a relationship, and for real I don't, but that night-"

Eld shook his head, "Petra I think you're over thinking this…

"No Eld, I'm not." She insisted stubbornly, "There's a _reason_ Erwin and the rest of the higher ups don't allow people in relationships to remain on the same squad, right? Let's pretend for even a _moment_ that the Captain hadn't rejected me; do you have _any _idea how terrible I would feel if Levi or I got so wrapped up in each other that it put you guys in danger at every turn, during every expedition? I care about all of you, and if my lack of discipline ever caused _any_ of you harm…I couldn't live with myself. Levi's right, our marriage _really_ is, and really _should_ stay…just on paper."

Eld watched her for a long moment as she continued to pick her words, "So, that's why I just smile through it right now. It was a moment of weakness, and I'm ashamed to say that I'm not as strong as I thought. Even if it hurts so much, I _am_ actually thankful that Levi put a stop to it. It's too dangerous for all of us, and so after he left, I took a few moments to myself and… decided to distance myself from him a little – just clear my head, you know? So I'm sorry, if that's making things awkward for you guys in the meantime. I'm fine though, really. It's been a rough few weeks, but I'll be alright."

She nodded toward the door evenly, "Anyway Eld, we need to run this in or it's going to get cold."

Eld pressed his lips together and moved in front of the door, not actually moving through it, but rather standing directly in the way until Petra looked up at him directly in question.

He looked down at her seriously, "Since you made that decision, you've hardly spent any _real_ time together with him, right? I'm curious Petra, do you miss him – the Captain?"

She groaned and tried to step around him, having thought this conversation was actually done, though Eld's larger frame successfully blocked the door and she gave him a desperate sort of stare, "Eld, come on, we've got to get inside. The guys are waiting and-"

"Just answer the question Petra, do you _miss_ him?"

She rolled her eyes in attempts to appear annoyed, though her voice broke as conflicted thoughts warred within her. She gave a sharp exhale and blinked the sudden sting out of her eyes, "…Every damn day, okay? Now will you _please_ step inside? You're bumming me out because there's nothing I can do about it. This is how things were before the wedding, and even after all we've done together, Levi just…doesn't want me. What he _wants_ is for things to go back to how they used to be, and even if it kills me inside…I can give him that. I don't visit him, I'm kind and respectful…the perfect subordinate I suppose. Professional. That will have to be enough."

Eld gave her a sad, compassionate glance, "I see. Thank you for telling me Petra."

She gave an insincere half smile, and it didn't escape his notice when a single tear ran down her face as she carefully opened the door and walked past him.

Eld exhaled silently as he followed behind her, finding that her explanation of the evening still just _didn't_ sit right with him. Either Petra was missing a vital piece of the puzzle, or he had been reading the Captain wrong for years. Either way, it was obvious that he needed to have a very long chat with a certain pint-sized Officer.

...

* * *

End Of Chapter

* * *

...

Aaaand that will do for this week!

Bit of a longer chapter, but there's a lot of good meat to it. Reflection on both parts are very, very important – and it's always nice to delve into various perspectives because it reveals a lot about them, so of course, this chapter is extremely important. Sadish though it is, I hope you enjoyed it - I feel it give A LOT of insight.

For real, yall have been so awesome about supporting me and I can't overstate that enough. I love reading your thoughts, answering your questions, and I know that the upcoming sections will continue to blow you away. Keep it coming, because it is so encouraging to me and helps me keep just as passionate about this story...even though I've been writing it for over half a year now. *internal screaming* Much love yall!

Midnight


	22. The One with the Void

Hey yall.

So I know I normally update first thing Sunday morning and I've been consistently doing that for a while now, to the extent that I'm certain that's how some of yall kick off your day. I'm so sorry if I somewhat pulled a fast one on you and you were anxiously waiting for the morning update today that left you hungry, as its now well into the day. I'm happy to report that today is an oddity, so your morning routine_ is_ safe, this is just a this week kind of gig.

I was actually _vacationing_ this weekend in Florida, and truth be told no thanks to the hurricane coming in, I was actually really worried that my flight would get cancelled and I'd be stuck in Florida (without my notepad!) for who knows how long while all the planes were down. Luckily, the hurricane seems to be dispersing a bit so I was able to hop on the plane and get out of there before the weather turned, but that put my day to a notable late start as I didn't get back home for some time. (Then start my final edits before posting.)

As an apology of sorts for my not so common upload time (Sunday though it is) I have made the executive decision to honor yalls wishes, and give you TWO chapters today instead of one. I merely combined them into one super long chapter, as I've gotten more than one request as of late to try my hand at uploading more often. (First born children and severed limbs not necessary yall, but you make me laugh!) I have to be careful on that, because I want to stay WELL ahead of what yall are reading so updates can remain consistent for you guys and I never have to scramble to get the next week's material out – but I figured _one_ week of a dual chapter wouldn't break the bank, and this is a good place to do it in terms of plot.

Anyhow, this is getting to be one long author's note, so I'll wrap it up. Best wishes go out to any of my readers in Florida. Love the views, hate your jellyfish. Stay safe guys!

...

* * *

...

It was as Petra was moving around the small sort of kitchenette, grabbing out fresh coffee mugs, pouring hot water into the coffee maker and going about her usual routine, that the tapping of boots grabbed her attention. She didn't stall from her task, knowing that it was just Gunther, as he was always the first one to show up in the morning.

Usually he would come in the room and they would exchange a sentence or two of dialogue, but not much more than that as he preferred to somewhat keep to himself until he got a solid dose of caffeine in his system. He would walk in, either say 'Morning' or just give her a nod, get a cup of coffee, and silently sit at the table in attempts to fully wake up. His silence had never bothered Petra, as it allowed her to keep bustling about the area without fear of appearing as rude or standoffish.

Usually five or ten minutes would go by and Oluo and Eld would come in together, loudly talking about this or that, settling up on whatever bets they had recently made, sometimes loop her in on whatever issue was at hand (a tie breaker of sorts, more often than not.) or sometimes they would make a point of teasing her or Gunther in attempts to liven up the 'dull' atmosphere.

Traditionally, another five or ten minutes would go by of the entire squad talking, wondering what training the Captain had lined up for them, sometimes bartering and trading different chores that had been assigned to them – and finally the Captain would come in. Though Levi was more like Gunther in that he didn't have much to say in the mornings, the overall conversation wouldn't really die down _too _much between the squad, though it _was_ kept to a dull roar as everyone knew full well that the Captain wasn't exactly a morning person and would scold them for making such a ruckus at the 'asscrack of the morning', if he felt they were being too loud.

As the sound of the boots tapping across the ground finally could be heard in the main room, Petra cleared her throat and spoke a little louder so she would be heard, "Morning Gunther. You've got good timing; the coffee is just now finished brewing and it's piping hot."

She placed the lid back over the coffee grounds and turned around, "I made it a little darker today because-"

She blinked in surprise and her previous words died on her tongue, "_Oh_, uh…"

Entering the room was not Gunther like she had expected. It was _Levi._

She forcefully cleared her throat and gave a polite smile, "Good morning, Captain!"

Levi made his way into the room, and quirked an eyebrow at her surprised expression. She attempted to recover and greet him the same way she always had, another irritatingly insufferable 'Good morning, Captain!' to mark in the books, and his eyes narrowed as a heavy scowl fell over his face at her empty and irksome greeting.

"Yeah, _morning_." His voice was low and deep, and Petra wasn't aware that a simple _acknowledgment_ could have such underlying malice. An unwitting, nervous shiver ran down her spine and she gave an uneasy exhale as Levi continued moving into the room, noting that he was clearly in a bad mood, as he _had_ been for weeks on end.

His traditional spot was not so coincidently at the head of the table, which was stationed only a mere foot away from the coffee station. While it didn't often cause any sort of traffic jams considering that by the time he arrived everyone had already gotten their coffee, with the fact that Petra was _actively_ working in the confines of the small area nestled in the back of the room, by the time Levi had moved to his end of the table, Petra was simultaneously both cornered,_ and_ in the way.

Unable to move for his chair considering Petra would be needing the open pathway, Levi merely stood in place and watched in silence as Petra suddenly fumbled around nervously under his gaze, quickly setting out the mugs and pouring herself a cup of coffee with a shaking hand. She placed a single spoonful of sugar into her coffee and stirred it softly, yet in an obviously hurried manner. The sound of the spoon hitting against the cup's ceramic walls seemed to echo painfully across the large room, and Petra gave a nervous sigh as she set the spoon down and made a point of avoiding eye contact with him as she clutched the coffee cup in her hands tightly.

Levi gave an irritated exhale and crossed his arms as he watched her flit about, not understanding her obvious tension. He wasn't even _doing _anything and she was ready to piss herself. Her palpable nervousness was grating on his patience, and he watched her with a dark stare that only highlighted his annoyance.

Petra finished preparing her coffee and took a step toward where Levi was, and as she moved to pass him – the space rather tight so they were effectively needing to trade places - she stepped to one side, the _same_ direction that Levi had stepped as luck would have it, and she sighed and switched to the other side, _again_ mirroring the Captain who had adjusted his position in attempts to get out of her way.

This happened once more and Levi all but growled as he crossed his arms, "Fucking _pick_ a side, and go."

Petra gave a small, intimidated nod and pointed to his right, and Levi gave a dramatic roll of his eyes, stepping out of the way and waving his arm toward the free path, "Move."

She took a hurried step and inched past him, her body somewhat pressing up against his as she slipped between him and the table, _taking_ great care to not spill her coffee as she walked by. She avoided his gaze as she walked to the side of the table where she sat, her mind racing with questions as she sank into her chair and stared into the table in mental outrage.

Where was everyone else? Or was Levi just _early _today? If so, why? Could it be that…maybe he _did_ want to talk with her? But if he did, why now of all times? It didn't make any sense! He had to know that at the very least, Gunther would be showing up in about…

Petra looked up toward the clock, frowning as she noted that Levi actually _wasn't_ early in the slightest. He was here the same time as usual. She hadn't noticed due to being kept busy with her morning prep, but the guys were all just…late apparently? Not _late_ late – they didn't technically have to report for duty for another twenty minutes, but in terms of their normal routine, they were all considerably behind.

What the hell was keeping them? And of all the times for them to all three be late like this, why now? Why did it _have_ to come at a time where she couldn't be alone with the Captain without a sort of horrible resulting tension like this? It wasn't that she was trying to make it awkward, but it's like she had pissed him off for just saying _hello _and she was hesitant to engage any further because his silent, seething anger was bad enough without her pushing the envelope.

The Captain had moved toward the coffee station and poured himself a cup of coffee – black – Petra noted in a sort of afterthought, and he sat down and exhaled.

Not a single word was exchanged between them.

The only sound that _was_ heard was light sipping sounds as they each drank their coffee in complete silence, and then the sort of thud that would result when they set their respective coffee mug back down across the table.

It was after a few minutes of this that a sort of rhythmic tapping caught her attention. Petra looked over toward the Captain and realized he was looking at the clock and drumming his fingers against the table in clear agitation. Some part of her was relieved that the apparent misery wasn't all in her head, while the other part of her found that his obvious irritation was only making the atmosphere even more tense and unbearable.

The silence merely extended all the more.

Petra wanted to groan as the atmosphere continued to thicken into a timeless sort of void that just kept dragging on. It was clear that he was just getting more aggravated the longer the silence extended, but the angrier he got, the more intimidated _she_ became, and it was proving to be a vicious cycle. Had she_ ever_ felt such a tension in her life? She had to bring it to an end somehow.

Surely even talking with the Captain, bad mood or not, would be better than this, right?

She cleared her throat and looked toward Levi, who looked back toward her with a snap of his head. As she opened her mouth to speak, Levi raised a single eyebrow, his glare heavy and his scowl unwavering. Whatever Petra had intended to say left her mind at once and she pressed her lips together sheepishly as she looked back into the table with wide and intimidated eyes, only causing Levi to scoff and roll his eyes again.

"Fucking…" he mumbled into his coffee cup before taking another sip and looking back to the clock in outraged silence.

The faint sound of boots tapping could again be heard from down the hall and Petra closed her eyes in a silent, thankful prayer. She didn't care _who_ it was coming down the hallway – surely the addition of _anyone_ would break this hellish tension, right?

Not a moment too soon, Eld walked into the room, stretching his arms above his head dramatically and giving a large yawn. "Hey, morning Petra. Guys are still getting ready; we were all up late last night so-"

As he spoke, Petra rose to her feet anxiously, "Oh really?" her voice was a little tense, and a little _too _eager to come across as casual, Eld paused mid-stretch as he watched her, "What- uh, what was happening last night? You should, you know you should talk to me about it. Everything. You know, all the details? What is _up_ with _you_?"

Eld gave her a confused, long sort of stare because he had _intended_ to talk about it, that was why he had brought it up in the first place, but after her…_strange_ response, his eyes scanned the room in confusion as to what may have caused Petra to be in such an obvious state of unease. As he looked around the room, he noted a very angry and miffed Captain, and a wide-eyed Petra who's eyes were begging him to be saved from Levi's frigid, stone cold wrath.

…Ah.

Eld smirked in realization and decided that it was time for some early morning entertainment. He bit back a chuckle and gave a suddenly low exhale, bringing a hand to his head and making a pained face, "Could you, could you _actually_ keep it down Petra? I've got a killer headache – you know, I think it's the lack of caffeine. I'm just going to sit down over here and, no, don't mind me. You two just keep talking; pretend I'm not even here."

Eld walked past her and moved toward the coffee station, pretending not to notice Petra's gaping mouth as he walked by, nor the Captain's suspiciously narrowed eyes once Eld moved toward him, still feigning the pain of an excruciating headache as he neared his superior.

Regardless Eld's rather convincing acting, Levi had seen a lot of bullshit in his day, so his suspicion remained steadfast and he gave the blonde a knowing, miffed stare at his childish antics.

Captain _did _always catch onto these things quickly, Eld noted internally, though suspicious or not, he doubted Levi would actually call him out on it, as that would require him acknowledging the tension in the first place. What was more, Petra wouldn't call him out either, because that would mean she'd have to admit to talking to him about what had happened between her and their grumpy Captain.

Besides, Eld reasoned with himself almost proudly, this was good for them in some ways. The pair had to learn how to communicate one way or another, and he had no problem stoking the fire because for once, he wasn't the one in the hotspot and what was more…this was just too much fun to pass up.

Levi stood up from his chair and continued to watch Eld with a suspicious sort of stare before he stepped to one side to allow Eld passage to the coffee station. The blonde moved past him without incident, ignoring the Captain's narrowed gaze and making his coffee, before finally stepping back around Levi in innocent, unaware silence.

He quietly walked back to the table and sat down, falling perfectly quiet and looking into the table intentionally, laughing inwardly as he felt both Levi and Petra stare at him bitterly. Petra watched Eld for a long moment, then looked back to Levi, who had a perturbed look on his face. When he caught her stare, Levi pressed his lips together and made a sort of 'what are you looking at?' face.

Intimidated just the same by his narrowed stare, Petra gave a fake, nervous sort of cough and quickly looked back at the table in front of her, dreading the moments to come as that same thick tension slowly began to return.

That damned silence once again blanketed the room, yet somehow – she wouldn't have believed it to be possible – the addition of a silent Eld only made it _worse_ with his stupid, 'You two just keep talking' comment, because it only highlighted the fact that there was absolutely_ no_ conversation to begin with!

Minutes slowly passed by, one by one – Petra knew because she had also defaulted to watching the clock, praying that the rest of her squad got there quickly.

When there were boots tapping in the hall again, Petra almost cried as a sort of impatience built within her – the tension still unbearable. Would it be too much to ask for them to _run_ down the hall? She turned her attention to the end of the room and almost whimpered when Gunther walked in.

_Gunther? _Gunther was never conversational in the mornings – where the hell was Oluo when she needed him? For the first time in her life she felt like she desperately needed him specifically, yet who was the one to actually show up? Gunther! Useless, serious, always down to business _Gunther_!

From the other end of the table, she heard what sounded like a snort from Eld, though when she turned to look at him, the blonde gave a pained exhale and took a long drink from his coffee cup, rubbing his temples and giving a sort of pitiful, miserable moan.

"Fucking asshole…" she heard Levi mumble, and Petra looked between the two males in complete confusion, before looking back at Gunther and giving a hopeful wave.

"Uh, morning Gunther," Petra squeaked, knowing that her chances of striking up a conversation with him first thing in the morning was slim to none, but she had to try, right? "How was your-"

"Hey man," Eld cut her off with a sort of whimper, "If you could do me a solid and just keep it low key for a minute? I've got this headache and-"

Petra audibly groaned and slouched back into her chair in defeat.

"Fine by me. Morning." Gunther responded simply, walking toward Levi and_ also_ having to swap places with the Captain who was still watching Eld with an unwavering, narrowed stare.

Petra sank lower into her chair and cursed her luck.

Once again, the room fell perfectly silent and that same bitter tension returned. Petra didn't even try looking at the Captain; didn't try looking at _anyone, _because what was the damned point. She pondered if this was what purgatory might be like, because this was as close to hell as one could possibly get while still living, she was certain of it.

Another impossibly long handful of minutes passed by, and _finally_ Oluo came into the room. As he walked in, he gave a chuckle at the somewhat _dead_ state of his team. He gave a large, unknowing smile, "Hey! What's going on here, it's like someone fucking died! What, did Gunther make the coffee or something? Thought Captain made a rule about that and everything."

While Petra was grateful for the conversation, she supposed it hadn't mattered at this point. It couldn't possibly get any worse and she had somewhat come to terms with the fact that her every interaction with the Captain would be painfully tense for the rest of time.

"Morning Oluo," she greeted wearily, perhaps even a little bitterly, "Coffee is fine. We're just a little…quiet because Eld has a headache. He would appreciate it if you could-"

"Actually Petra," Eld smiled smugly as he looked up from the table, "I'm feeling _much_ better now. Must have been a caffeine headache after all, because few sips of coffee and it's gone. Isn't that great?"

Levi crossed his arms at Eld's explanation and shook his head as he, again, got out of his chair and made room for Oluo in the considerably cramped coffee station. Levi's tone was stiff, "Caffeine my ass. That's five laps you fucking smug shithead."

Eld gave a fake, dejected sigh as the squad looked between Levi and Eld in obvious confusion, not understanding what was transpiring between the pair, because by all accounts, it seemed as though Eld was being punished for no wrongdoing on his part.

After a moment, the blonde shrugged with a cheeky sort of grin, "…That's fair."

It was as they were all sitting together and preparing to leave the Compound that the main door opened – it was unusual that they had any sort of guests in the morning – and when Commander Erwin stepped into the room the entire squad (save for Levi) was at their feet.

"Commander." They acknowledged in a firm salute, and he gave a nod, looking toward Levi as the squad remained at attention.

"Captain." Erwin greeted as he walked toward him directly, and Levi turned from his place in the table and frowned.

"What."

"Morning to you as well. Do you by chance recall Hanji and I discussing the gas shortage last week?"

Levi's eyebrows pulled down and he made a suspicious face, "…I thought that was taken care of a few weeks ago at the Banquet. Didn't you say that you had both talked to the man about the necessary arrangements after Petra and I had left?"

The Commander gave a noncommittal grunt and shrugged, "We did, it's just that-"

Levi rolled his eyes and cut him off with a snort, "You and Four Eyes fucked it up, didn't you? Fucking dammit all, I swear I have to do everythi-"

Erwin crossed his arms and corrected him with a less than impressed stare, "What _you_ are referring to was addressed, but this is something else. As it turns out, the entire military is short on gas right now, not just the Scouts. Apparently, there was a recent transporting accident that has heavily impacted the transfer of product last month and as a result all factions are being instructed to heavily ration their remaining supplies until a permanent solution can be found."

Levi fell silent, though his impatient glare remained, and Erwin put his hands in his pockets as he continued his explanation, "I came to inform you that until further notice, each squad will be required to take one day off from training with the 3DM gear each week and focus on other important skills; horseback riding, mounted weapons, hand to hand combat, tracking, etc. For your squad, the assigned off day will be each Thursday, with today being the first. Apologies for the short notice, but you'll need to adjust your training plans for the day to accommodate the order."

Hearing this, Levi took a long drink from his coffee cup, tilting the cup up higher as he finished his drink. He set the mug down and gave Erwin a scathing, sarcastic huff, "Short notice? _No_, what makes you say that, there's still a whole, what, five fucking _minutes_ until we walk to get our equipment, right? No reason to apologize, not like this changes the entire damn day or anything." The Captain's expression darkened still as he looked around the table, noting that his squad was still at attention. He exhaled through his nose and ignored his superior's quirked eyebrow, "At ease guys; apparently we get to take it easy considering the Commander doesn't want any _actual_ training to take place today."

The squad hesitantly relaxed from their salute. There was a certain tension in the room that prevented them from speaking or really moving from their standing positions because while the Captain _had_ released them, it was clearly done in a… not so respectful manner, and collectively they weren't sure how they were supposed to respond other than remain quiet and not get involved.

Erwin nodded to the team respectfully as though acknowledging the awkward situation, then looked at Levi with a firm expression as he walked toward him pointedly. Erwin was already significantly taller than Levi, but with the fact that the Captain was sitting down, Erwin's larger frame_ towered_ over the Captain as he came to stand directly in front of him. His voice was low and mellow, but there was a certain edge to his words that reminded Petra of the more sinister Erwin she had seen at the banquet.

An unwitting shiver went down her spine in recollection.

"I'd _encourage_ you to keep that attitude of yours in check, Captain. After working on strategy plans, bartering with other suppliers, having my own opinions about the forced rationing, let's just say I'm not in the mood for that mouth. In case you forgot, I'm not exactly a patient man."

Levi merely looked up toward Erwin and a heavy silence fell over the pair as they stared at each other in challenge. After a considerably tense moment, Levi clicked his tongue and gave an irritated exhale, still unrepentant, and Erwin's voice only maintained its icy edge all the more, "Command your team however you see fit, but once you're done for the day, come into my office – and _that's_ an order. Seems there's a conversation I need to have with you regarding respect."

The Captain now returned Erwin's stare flatly, a sneer at his lips as he spoke, "Looking forward to it."

Erwin merely smirked as he turned around and left the compound without another word.

When the Commander closed the door behind him, Levi could feel the suddenly heavy stares of all his subordinates, and while it wasn't quite shame or apprehension that fell over him, there was a certain degree of distaste he felt considering his entire squad knew full well that he was in trouble.

He grabbed his coffee cup and stood up, "Well, the fuck are you all staring at? If we're not going to be using the 3DM gear then there's no reason to be suited head to toe in this harness, now is there? Go back to your rooms and take it off. We will rendezvous at the training grounds in twenty minutes. Dismissed."

Levi moved the coffee cup into the nearby sink and gave a quiet groan.

The day was already shitty enough, and now he had gone and pissed Erwin off.

Great.

…

* * *

...

When the squad arrived at the training grounds not too much later after him, Levi directed their attention to the area in front of them, "Okay, here's what we'll do today. Nothing glamorous considering I came up with it on the five-minute walk here, but I'm thinking we'll do stations. Someone will start here," Levi pointed to one side of the open space in front of them, "And do hand to hand combat with another squad member. After rotating once, a new teammate will rotate in, you will do a second round of combat with the next person, and then you yourself will rotate out to target practice after that."

Levi pointed to the large titan cutout in the center of the arena, "Erwin didn't mention any problems with blades, so here in a bit I'll have one of you grab a canister of blades for the station and you can individually work on your cuts, long distance throws, perhaps knife skills if you so choose – just keep busy and keep focused. You each know areas you're weak with bladework, so that's the priority. From there, you'll rotate and go head to head with _me_ for an additional round of combat. I'll critique your form, highlight different ways to end things quicker in an actual combat situation, and from there you'll rotate back to the start. We'll do that circuit a few times throughout the day and call it quits a few hours before the dinner bell rings."

Levi looked around the large area that they would soon be occupying, "Anyone slacks off even _once_ and there will be hell to pay for the whole squad. Understood?"

He watched as his subordinates all gave confirming nods and nodded once in return, "Alright, good. Eld, if you can move to the supply station and grab the blades for us? When you get back, we'll begin with our warm up routine and then we'll get started."

It was an hour later, after a number of laps and various conditioning exercises completed, that the Squad looked toward Levi expectantly. He pointed toward the grounds, "Alright then, let's get to it. Eld, you'll start us out by going head to head with Petra. Oluo, you're on target practice, and Gunther, you'll start things over here with me. From there, we'll rotate – Gunther will join Eld, Petra will move on to targets, and then Oluo will come over here with me. Make sense?"

Levi moved to the middle of the area and wound a small timer he had grabbed in preparation, setting it down on a log and walking toward Gunther, "When the timer goes off, everyone rotate as discussed. Begin."

Without much issue, the squad began the training and while Levi would look up occasionally between punches to ensure that they were all taking their roles seriously, he couldn't spare _too_ much thought because he was in an active fist fight with Gunther, and he would be in a world of pain if he didn't keep focused. While the majority of his squad wasn't at the same level as himself, due to a majority of his upbringing being spent in frequent fist fights and territory wars, Levi had trained them _himself_ on how to hold their own in a fight, and after years under his watch, they were all formidable in their own ways.

For Gunther, he was _exceptionally_ strong and what was more, he was difficult to take down. He had an analytical mind and could correctly dodge or parry almost any sort of attack that was thrown at him with admirable skill and consistency. He always kept his feet planted firmly on the ground and didn't give an inch. While his attacks were slow and predictable, they were packed with so much power that even though he knew what was coming, Levi had to often break up his _own _movement to make sure he wasn't hit. _'Humanity's Strongest'_ or not, being on the receiving end of Gunther's right hook was a sure-fire way to wind up unconscious.

For Oluo, his movements perhaps _were_ more sloppy when compared next to Eld or Gunther, but rather befitting of his character, Oluo was tenacious and could take a hit better than anyone else on his squad. Where Oluo could take a _significant _beating and keep fighting just the same, most could not – he found his subordinate had a very tortoise and the hare sort of approach to combat. Oluo was very unique in his approach, as he didn't focus on _besting_ his opponent so much as _outlasting_ them, and Levi admittedly had come to dread hand to hand combat with Oluo due to how grueling and _draining_ the battles would often become. While he could traditionally complete three to four matches during each session and provide follow-up feedback for each of his subordinates, he rarely even finished _one_ match with Oluo and they would have to rotate out with no clear cut winner. Oluo would walk away with a sort of smirk on his face, and Levi would have to take a moment to catch his breath, exhausted and grateful that the session had_ finally_ ended.

As for Eld, his style of combat usually tended to…_irritate_ Levi; it always had.

Eld was extremely formidable and utilized a similar fighting style to that of his own, and it kept Levi on the defensive most of the time due to the correctly balanced offensive and defensive maneuvers that Eld consistently leveraged. As much as he would have liked to take credit for Eld's undeniable skill, Levi had a trained eye and knew an experienced fighter when he saw one. He wasn't sure what sort of background Eld had, but he couldn't be fooled. His second in command had seen more than his fair share of battles throughout his life, and as a result, Eld was one of the few people that could actually put up a _true _fight against him, and it kept Levi's own skills sharp as a result. Perhaps a small side of him might have even _enjoyed_ his sessions with Eld due to the posed challenge, but any enjoyment he might have had was always ruined because Eld _talked_.

All the damned time.

There was not a _second_ that went by without the blonde giving some sort of commentary as to the day, his thoughts about training, or really anything that crossed his mind. While Levi tried his damndest to ignore Eld's insufferable, menial chatter, (that was undoubtedly done with the sole _intention_ of irritating the hell out of him) only a few minutes would pass by before Levi found he was swinging his fists with intent to knock him _unconscious _from sheer irritation. Try as he may, due to Eld's undeniable skill, he could never quite land the hit, and Eld would continue undaunted and blather on just the same, well aware of just how easily annoyed the Captain was and loving every second of it.

It was certainly not by accident that he had positioned Eld at the very first rotation – the farthest spot _away_ from him – and even though it would be some time before Eld made it all the way to his station, Levi was already dreading their upcoming interaction.

Now Petra…Levi almost smiled in thought, knowing that she was undeniably the most improved on his squad. When she had first joined the team, he quickly learned that her hand to hand combat skills were 'limited' at best, and a complete liability at worst. He could only assume that she had absolutely _no_ combat experience before she became a military trainee, and though basic training had taught her the ropes – how to punch, how to kick, how to disarm a direct attack – the straight forward approach hadn't done her any favors because she was slow to the draw and her attack style left something to be desired. It was after one particularly brutal session where she had been pitifully struggling to merely _defend _herself, never mind being able to initiate even a single attack in return, that he had stopped mid-fight to give her honest feedback because her performance had been _that_ lacking that they were just wasting time. He knew that the problem wasn't per say her skill level - it was how she approached combat from the start. She was fighting with methods that highlighted her weaknesses and abandoned her strengths completely – he explained that she wasn't _strong_ like himself or Gunther, but she was much more _flexible_ than the average person so she could use _that_ as her edge in combat instead.

And _fuck_ did she make good on it.

It had taken a few more intentional training sessions to _show_ her what he meant, but ever since, he had struggled to predict her movements. At this point, it was rare he could actually land a hit on her anymore. Where she lacked the raw brute force of the men on his squad, she was lithe and light on her feet; frisky and all instinct. He would swing his fist forward and she would disappear – flit to one side, do a backbend, fall into the splits and kick toward him to restore distance between them – it was something to watch to be sure, and more impressive still, she never responded the same way twice. At this point she was a master at controlling the arena around her, and Levi found more often than not that he could only wait and wonder just where or how she might strike next, knowing full well that he was playing _her_ game and not the other way around.

In an _actual_ life or death setting, he knew he could beat her with enough focus and intentional manipulation of her movements, but in less demanding situations like this, he found that of all his subordinates, Petra was hardest to read and the hardest to counter.

Levi couldn't deny that he anticipated his battles with Petra the most, because there _was_ that element of surprise that was unique to just her battles, but more notably than that, he enjoyed seeing just how badly she wanted to win. All of his squad members had areas that they secretly wanted to best him in, be it deeper cuts, the ability to run faster or longer – and for Petra, it was painfully obvious that she desperately wanted to wipe the floor with him in a fist fight. The _second_ he had said that they would be doing a session of hand to hand combat against him specifically, he had watched her eyes light up and had to stop himself from smirking at her eagerness.

Though…he supposed there was some merit to the fact that all his squad anticipated _any_ time they could throw a few fists at him without a form of punishment or retaliation as he knew that he…tended to try their patience.

Regardless, he enjoyed Petra's excitement. She would always anticipate their matches and when it was finally her turn, there would be that familiar, competitive spark in her eye and she'd take off, a constant smirk on her face as she watched him struggle to keep up with her speedy and unpredictable movements. He supposed he should be grateful that she wasn't a sore loser, because as talented as she was, she had a long, _long_ way to go before she matched him in skill and experience. She had yet to beat him even a single time throughout all these years, yet after each battle, she'd watch him with a sort of look in her eye that promised '_Next time_.'

The bell finally rang and Levi stood up straight and addressed Gunther who was already watching him for feedback. He took a deep breath and nodded, "That was good. When you kick, remember to crouch down lower," Levi squatted low to the ground and slowly extended his leg upward as he stood up to demonstrate, "The lower you go, the more power you can bring into the kick, just don't go so deep that you lose your momentum when you stand. Even if you don't land the kick, it forces your opponent on the defensive and gives you a second to plan your next move."

Gunther nodded and Levi motioned toward the opposite end of the training grounds, "Well done. You're up against Eld now, get moving."

As Gunther ran off, Levi took a deep breath and turned around, looking toward Oluo who was moving toward him with a smirk. Oluo was stretching his arms above his head dramatically and even cracked his knuckles as he approached him with an overconfident stride. "Alright Captain, you ready?"

Levi held back a groan and rolled his shoulders, giving an accepting exhale. He merely nodded and took up a fighting stance, knowing that this session would test his endurance because it always did, and he would just have to get through it one way or another. Oluo nodded back and also took a fighting stance of his own.

Levi drew in a long, long breath of preparation.

"Begin."

It seemed like hours passed by before the bell finally rang again, and when it_ finally_ did, as expected, he and Oluo were still in the middle of the same match they had been in from the start. Not quite a stalemate considering that Levi had landed some fairly good hits that would undoubtedly bruise and cause some resulting impressive swelling, but in all fairness, nothing that would have actually ended a fight in a real world setting so the fight continued on – like it always did. They dropped their arms collectively and Levi immediately leaned over, bent in half as he tried to catch his breath from the demanding fight.

From above him, he could hear a chuckle.

"Still can't beat me Captain?" Oluo taunted between loud pants, and Levi rolled his eyes, also breathing just as desperately.

He stood up fully and gave him a narrowed stare, still breathing heavily after the exhausting battle. "Don't get cocky you little shit, you've never beaten me either."

His subordinate merely shrugged, "Ah, but I've never_ lost_ to you, now have I?"

"Oh, fuck off – get to the next station and save it for someone who gives a damn."

"Alright, alright."

Once Oluo began moving away, Levi shook his head and forced deeper breaths into his lungs because he was already exhausted – he had just gone through two back to back, demanding battles, but he had to get his second wind because now it was finally time for-

"Hey…" Petra walked up toward him, a slight smile on her face as she noted just how exhausted he clearly was, as though trying to hold back a giggle.

He cleared his throat and stood up straighter, giving a single nod toward her in acknowledgement and still forcing deep breaths into his lungs as he tried to lower his heartrate in preparation for his sparring with Petra. He moved a leg back, crouching slightly into an offensive position and nodding toward her as he inhaled to speak, "Begi-"

"I actually, uh, before we begin, I have a favor to ask, if that's okay?" She picked at her long white sleeves as she stopped in front of him, negating to move into a defensive position as she spoke.

His ears perked at this, some part of him very interested in whatever it was that Petra wanted from him. Not that he wanted to have needy subordinates that couldn't handle their own problems, but considering how little Petra had interacted with him as of late, even something like this was a start and he looked forward to whatever simple thing she apparently needed from him.

He stood up straight and cleared his throat, taking a final large inhale and finally feeling like he had caught his breath again, "Okay, what?"

She looked down at herself and gave a small smile, "Alright just…don't laugh at me. When you said take off the harness, that's exactly what I did. But everyone else including you changed into workout clothes, something you_ didn't_ say to do, and I didn't think to, and now these pants and button up are just so hard to move in and I did so terrible in my fight with Eld and he's been teasing me about it and I really don't want to have a bad match with you and…Captain, it's just so _hot!_" She groaned and looked up toward him with hopeful, begging eyes, apparently having run out of both reasons and breath required to keep speaking.

Levi merely watched her in amusement as a smirk pulled at his lips, and Petra sighed as she rocked back and forth on her heels nervously, "I know we're on active duty and I'm sorry I wasn't properly prepared, but would it be a big deal if I ran back to the Compound and changed really fast?"

He gave a cough of amusement before nodding once and exhaling. He waved his hand as if to shoo her away and she gave a small jump of excitement, "Oh thank you, thank you Captain! I'll be back in just a little while!"

He watched her run off and gave an amused chuckle, his previous curiosity being placated as to why Petra had remained in uniform instead of changing into something more appropriate and breathable for the day's exercises. The small smile remained on his face as he continued to watch her because…that had actually felt…normal, for once.

There wasn't that prolonged tension or awkwardness, it was just Petra being her normal self around him and fuck, for the small ten seconds it had been, it felt wonderful. Furthermore, this actually worked out in his favor because while he could keep going if he _had_ to, now that Petra wasn't here trying to beat the shit out of him, he could sit down for a moment and take a very needed breather.

He moved toward the edge of the training grounds and took a seat at one of the tables, grabbing his towel and wiping it across his skin, before grabbing his water canteen next and drinking half of it at once.

"Hey, Captain Levi!"

A voice called his name, and he looked toward the direction of the sound, seeing an Officer walk toward him with a wave. It wasn't long before the individual, a fellow Captain in fact, had joined him at the table he was seated at.

"Hey, I see your team is cross training today."

Levi looked at the Officer evenly, having nothing to add to his statement, and the man continued, "I've heard other Officers talking, something about a gas shortage and how we won't be able to train as often with the 3DM gear – is any of that true? I figured if anyone would know, you'd be my best bet. I tried to track down the Commander, but he wasn't at his office and I'd like to know as soon as possible so I can adjust training for my team if the need arises."

Levi set down his water canteen and gave a simple nod, "It's true. Erwin confirmed it with me just a bit ago. Sounds like all squads will have a forced off day for cross training from here on out until the government officials get it all sorted out or some shit. I'd imagine Erwin will find _you_ soon enough and let you know what day to plan for each week."

The man sighed and gave an accepting nod, "Right." He gave a groan as he shook his head in dismay, "Of all times. The weather is just starting to get nice enough where we can actually be outside for some proper training too. Uh, sorry to ask, but would you maybe share some ideas if you have any? For what to do in terms of cross training, I mean. I like the set up you have here, but I'm not sure what else we can do while we kind of wait it out."

Levi blinked and shrugged, "Well, Erwin suggested horseback riding, tracking, reviewing our larger weapons like canons – when in doubt, personally I'm a big fan of old fashioned, classic conditioning - squats, pushups, pullups – nothing works the human body better than the human body."

The man gave a chuckle and leaned forward, "Okay, yeah I can see that. Are you busy? I have another question for _you_ specifically, if you don't mind."

Levi looked over his shoulder, noting that Petra was still nowhere to be found. He looked back toward the Officer and gave a shrug, "Fine."

The man gave a relieved exhale, "Thanks. It's just I've got this one Scout on my team and I'm at a loss for what to do next. To speak frankly, it's a girl and the root of the problem is that she's w_eaker_ than the rest of the squad – physically I mean. I'm certain that's why she's struggling so much. I don't know if you dealt with that with the girl on your squad – oh right, congrats on the wedding by the way because she's beautiful – but if you did have that problem, how did you help, you know, build that strength up a bit? Or is it just a lost cause? Should I be expecting more of her or…?"

Levi exhaled at the question and thought it over for a moment because Petra's strength wasn't the same as the rest of his squad even now, and he remembered having similar frustrations when she had first joined the squad – although it hadn't ever gotten to a point where he felt she was holding the squad back per say, like the Captain speaking with him seemed to be experiencing.

They talked for some time about exercises that would build both physical strength, but more importantly, as Levi pointed out, muscular _endurance_. It was one thing to bulk up someone's strength, but if they couldn't continuously preform and their energy reserves ran out in an instant, all the extra strength training would be a waste.

It was as they were talking that Petra had appeared again in a more comfortable and forgiving outfit, giving a small wave as she remained a distance away in light of their conversation. Levi nodded back in acknowledgement, trying to wrap things up while still ensuring that the Captain's questions were taken seriously. It wasn't often someone had the guts to seek him out for advice, and more than that, it seemed to be out of genuine concern for his own subordinates, and out of respect for him as someone who _also_ tried to put their team first, Levi would not turn him away or snub his attempts to be a better Captain.

"Think that will work?" Levi asked, and the younger man gave a nod of his head.

"Yeah, I will give that a shot and hope for the best." He stood up and extended his hand, to which Levi nodded and returned a firm handshake.

"Don't be afraid to keep on it and give them hell. Who cares if they hate you if it means they all come back alive - remember that."

"Right. Thank you, Captain Levi. I'll let you get back to it; I've taken enough of your time and I'd hate for the Mrs. to be kept waiting on my account."

The man gave a nod and walked away from the table, giving a respectful nod toward Petra as he walked, "Mrs. Ackerman."

She nodded back and moved toward Levi, both of them silently watching the man retreat. A curious expression across her face as she looked up toward Levi in question, "So uh…Who was that?"

"Him? Another Captain. Seems word has gotten around that the gas shortage is a thing. Officers are people too, and _no one_ likes when their plans are messed with. I imagine there's a lot of last-minute scrambling going on. Feeling better, by the way?" As he spoke, he motioned, perhaps a little stiffly, toward her more appropriate workout shirt and shorts combination, and Petra nodded eagerly.

"Yes. _Much_ better, thank you." She cleared her throat, "Do you want to get started? I don't know how much time we've got left but-"

In the middle of her sentence, the bell sounded, and her mouth dropped open dramatically.

Her eyes were wide and she looked around in silent outrage as she tried to pick her words to express herself. "What the- _now_? Now?! You've got to be kidding me! Seriously? How is this fair? I was…" she gave a long groan and let her head fall back as she looked up toward the sky – apparently blaming the powers that be - and continued to complain loudly in dismay, "I don't care what you say, this was the _time_ – I feel it in my bones. You!" she suddenly pointed at him in indignance, "You lucky bastard!"

Levi watched her skeptically, not offended by her words so much as curious, "The _time_?"

Petra nodded once firmly, a pout over her lips. She groaned and spoke with a frustrated sort of confidence, "This was the time that I _finally_ knocked you on your ass and left you speechless with how amazing my performance was! Damn it all, this was it!"

By the end of her passionate tirade, Levi had a smirk on his face because she was as blood thirsty as ever. He crossed his arms and took a few steps towards her until he was directly in front of her, his sudden closeness bringing her words to a quick end. He leaned toward her, admittedly closer than necessary as he matched his face with hers. He watched in satisfaction as she fell perfectly still, her face already turning red as she watched him with uncertain eyes.

"So…you think today is the day you knock me on my ass?"

He watched as Petra gave a weak, cautious nod, and he merely smirked all the more and shook his head. He leaned even _closer_ toward her and she gave an inhale of surprise as he put a hand on her shoulder to pull her up against him, and Levi angled his head so he could whisper in her ear. He felt her stiffen, though she didn't struggle or push him away. He licked his lips and whispered, his lips brushing her ear with each word he spoke, "You'll rotate back soon enough, right? _I'm looking forward to watching you try_."

He stood back up fully and watched her with satisfaction, amused as Petra stood rigidly, refusing to look up at him as her face burned a crimson red.

From across the arena, Oluo shouted, "Hey Petra, what's the hold up? Get a move on, you don't want to miss your chance to fight the squad's undefeated combat master, right?"

Levi's prior expression fell and he rolled his eyes, watching Petra who blinked in confusion at Oluo's words, a sort of irritation coming to her face as she turned toward the opposite end of the area and shouted back at him, "I just _did _miss my chance, you jackoff!"

Levi snorted at her words and shook his head, knowing it was best to not press his luck and push things any further while things were still admittedly strained between them. He looked over his shoulder and sighed, "Eld's on his way over here. You need to get moving."

She stayed rooted in her spot, and a genuine smile came to her face as she watched him warmly. She waited until she had his attention and gave him a challenging quirk of her eyebrow, a smugness in her expression as she spoke, "Next time, Captain."

"Next time." He agreed, and Petra's smile brightened all the more before she ran off with a wave.

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End of Chapter

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I don't regret giving you guys two chapters here to make up for my being somewhat outside of my normal update schedule, but I hope you guys take the time to read it slow and digest everything properly. Truth be told, that's another reason I (for the most part) really like this one chapter a week vibe. I add in foreshadowing, symbolism, repetition, tools to add depth to the read, but those things that can so easily be missed if not reviewed carefully so don't be afraid to take it slow or reread things! You may thank yourself later.

Okay, now confession time, I love the paragraphs where Levi mentally reviews the different combat styles/techniques of his team. Many of you have commented how you enjoy the fact that even though it's a Petra/Levi show, the rest of the squad plays a big role, because (apologies to the other fics out there) but they should! They very much should! All that to say that I enjoyed giving spotlight to each of the members, because I love this team so much. Oluo just kills me in this chapter, and Eld. Vindictive, smug, little Eld. Ahhh good times, good times.

Either way, hope you enjoy this very long deluxe chapter, and as always, I'll see yall next Sunday – bright and early, same time as usual :)

Midnight


	23. The One Where Eld is Right - Again

Morning everyone!

I'm setting up to make myself a cup of coffee and posting, let yall get back to your normal morning routines. Tis the season, so I'd recommend a nice cup of tea while you read, like Moroccan Mint or Jasmine Pearl. (Or Coffee of course.) I did all the edits last night, and am gearing up to post, fix my hair and then *ahem* *deep breath*

THROW ON MY JERSEY BECAUSE ITS GAME DAY YALL! THE CHIEFS WILL PREVAIL.

…So, I like football. Quite a lot. And this is a day I'm greatly looking forward to. Aside from my obsession with the sport, this is also a rather important chapter so I won't blather on too much. Thanks for being here and let me know your thoughts!

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Levi gave a single nod to Eld in acknowledgement, but soon turned his gaze back to Petra, watching as she ran off toward Oluo. He gave one last amused shake of his head and prepared to walk over toward Eld and begin their first match, but he instead remained in place as he watched Petra give a wave to Oluo and in the next moment, suddenly pull her shirt up over her head, removing it completely and leaving her clad in only her tight black shorts and matching sports bra.

She threw her previous tank top to the ground and moved closer to Oluo, rolling her shoulders and neck in preparation.

Levi blinked and felt his breath leave him as his eyes trailed over her form, because he certainly hadn't been expecting that, and he watched with a sort of indignance as Oluo's eyebrows _also_ raised as he watched Petra with a similar surprised expression that Levi was certain, mirrored his own.

A scowl was instantly at his lips and he crossed his arms in immediate frustration. She had worked out in that exact same outfit a number of times before, and each time he had always hated it. He couldn't tell her to cover up because by all accounts, it was well within regulation for her to wear whatever she wanted during training that intentionally neglected use of the 3DM gear – so as her _Captain _he wasn't able to do anything because it didn't technically break any rules.

Yet even still, he had always _wanted_ to say something because it was…distracting.

The team's productivity always went down as a direct result and worse still, Petra was completely unaware of the raw sexual magnetism she carried, and how it was only intensified when she dressed like that. It always became this intricate sort of balancing act in attempts to keep his team in check without making her aware as to _why _he needed to safeguard her in the first place. He feared that if she _did_ understand the nature of their stares and sudden desire they shared to be close to her, it might make her feel uncomfortable with her place in a squad of men and Levi worked tirelessly to ensure that Petra trusted them all implicitly and felt like she_ belonged_, even if days like this…_tested_ those boundaries significantly and reminded them all that Petra was a _very_ attractive woman.

On days like this, the men would watch her just a moment longer than usual - they enjoyed teasing her about her pale skin, make wise cracks about how it must be getting close to summer if Petra was working out in that again – even if the behavior wasn't always wandering glances or his team treating her as a mere object, no one could deny the difference in behavior that occurred as a direct result from her more revealing outfit.

Levi would have marveled at the impact she had on his team, if it weren't for the fact that she ran him ragged with all the necessary damage control.

Everyone wanted to be close to her. Everyone wanted to make her laugh. Everyone wanted to be the one to nudge her shoulder or muss her hair – Levi supposed that if she worked out more consistently in such attire, they would get used to it eventually and wouldn't think much of it, but due to the fact that it was maybe only a handful of times each year when the days were hot like this, it was always noticeable and a considerably big deal to see Petra in less than her normal choice of wardrobe. Try as he may to keep on top of it, it was a full-time job in and of itself and what was more…

It was exhausting on a new level, because unlike before…now _he_ wanted her too.

Levi scowled and cursed his luck, because _of course _today would be one of those days. Had he known_ that _was what Petra had intended changing into, he wouldn't have let her change at all and spared himself the mental frustration of trying to keep himself, and the team focused on their training and not focused on her eye-catching and considerably appealing physique on clear display.

Levi mumbled a few choice words to himself as he watched her, somewhat jolting when Eld appeared beside him, having been _that _distracted by his own previous thoughts that he hadn't even noticed the blonde's approach beside him.

Eld hadn't missed how the Captain had gone from smiling to scowling in a mere two seconds flat and curiously followed his line of sight to see what it was that had changed his mood so suddenly. When Eld's sights scanned across the arena and settled onto Petra and her apparent change of wardrobe, he furrowed his eyebrows as he realized the nature of his superior's irritation.

Eld cleared his throat, and nodded toward Petra casually, "See something you like, Captain?"

Levi shook his head darkly and turned back toward the open ground for their match with a menacing scowl, "_No._"

And that was the honest truth.

He _didn't _see anything he liked, because he did _not_ like seeing Petra being stared at by Oluo. He did not like seeing Petra laughing and talking to him so casually, unaware of the potent effect she had on her teammate or the nature of his stare. For that matter, he did not like being reminded of the potent effect she had on _him_ personally. All at once he was unwittingly reminded of the way she had looked that night with her lined green eyes and full red lips, and what was more, the way those lips had _felt_ when pressed up against his.

The longer he watched her, he found that he wanted her to come back because she was so far away from him and Oluo was looking her up and down and the unsettling combination was putting him on edge fast. _He_ wanted to be the one to tease her about her inability to handle the heat, to be the one that watched her as she twisted her body in combat, her lithe and shapely legs moving beneath her as she all but danced in front of him, a challenging smirk in her eye because even though he was heavily favored to win, his record to date being flawless against her, she would never just _hand_ him the victory.

He found that more than a mere sparring match, he wanted to get a rise out of her – create a false opening that would only lead to her being pinned in his hold, lead to her green eyes widening and a gasp drawing from her lungs when she realized all too late that it had been mere baiting. He would grip her wrists tightly, feel her chest press against him as she tried to catch her breath, and he would watch in satisfaction as blood rushed to her face as he confirmed that she'd have to knock him on his ass some other time, because she clearly needed more _instruction._

Levi exhaled sharply and forced his mind to clear, because it wasn't him, it was someone else, and it wasn't his place to say anything about it because again, no one was technically doing anything wrong. He turned his back on the sparring pair across the training grounds, tried not to think about Petra and her adjusted wardrobe, and exhaled lowly, patience thin for reasons that he wasn't prepared to address just yet.

But even still.

_Fuck._

Eld followed behind the brooding Captain in silence and they each took up a fighting stance, Levi giving a single nod and both springing into action at once.

"You know Captain," Eld began as he blocked with one arm and attacked with the other, "This actually works in my favor because I've actually been wanting to talk to you."

Levi moved around him quickly, swinging his leg out and pivoting back up into a full standing position as he dodged Eld's forward jab. He said nothing to his statement, knowing that Eld of all people did not need the encouragement to keep speaking, and as expected, Eld continued just the same.

"What's going on between you and Petra?"

Levi rolled his eyes and initiated an attack of his own, speaking with a strained voice as he kicked his leg out again and successfully managed to kick Eld back a few feet, "Nothing."

Eld gave a slight groan and stood up more fully as he found his footing again, both of them walking in a slight circle as they tested each other and tried to bait a premature attack from the other. Eld gave a fake smile and clicked his tongue, "Okay, _fine_. If that's how you want it, then let me rephrase my question. Why did you kiss Petra after the party?"

Levi was admittedly surprised because he hadn't known that Petra had talked to Eld about it – although now that he thought about it, he really _should_ have known considering how close the two of them had always been - and it was at that moment that Eld lunged forward aggressively, the fight continuing all the more as Levi brought his arms up to block at the last moment. Reading his perturbed expression and last-minute block, Eld gave a smirk at the Captain's surprise, "That's right, she _told _me. You'd do well to remember that you're not Petra's only friend; I'll have you know she tells me_ a lot_ of interesting things. For example lover boy, I hear it from a good source that you're an excellent kisser. I must say, I'm so proud. Didn't know you had it in you."

Levi's eyes narrowed, "Piss off, Eld."

Eld's teasing expression fell suddenly cold and he looked at him seriously as he ducked below Levi's elbow, "Oh but I'm not even _close_ to finished Levi, because Petra is pretty heartbroken right now and I don't like seeing my comrade's emotions being toyed with."

Levi turned in the same forward motion and swung his other elbow aggressively toward Eld, moving lower to the ground and thrusting his palm upward toward his chin. Eld grabbed the Captain's wrist and turned his momentum against him, stepping out of the way as he tossed the Captain behind him smoothly.

Levi moved the few steps in attempts not to fall and corrected himself upward, and again they were back at a sweeping sort of distance, each circling each other warily.

Eld watched Levi with a dark expression, "You see what _I_ find most interesting is the fact that Petra is pretty convinced you rejected her, but-"

As Eld spoke, Levi's attention flitted across the field, a sort of guilt coming to him at hearing Eld's words. He had _hoped_ that maybe Petra wouldn't have taken it like that and figured that there was more she hadn't initially noticed, but hearing it from Eld was almost as good as hearing it from Petra herself and merely confirmed that she had chosen to blame herself after all.

Levi watched as Petra leapt away from Oluo suddenly, gracefully flitting through the air before moving back toward Oluo and pulling her arm up in an attempt to punch him. Oluo grabbed her wrist and held her there for a long moment, smirking down at her as Petra tried to pull her arm out of his grasp but to no avail. It didn't escape his notice that Oluo leaned closer to her, the closeness not necessary considering he already had her arm trapped.

Levi's eyes narrowed at this, at the intensity of Oluo's stare and his daring proximity, and the sound of Eld clearing his throat caught his attention.

He realized that Eld had been watching him through this interaction, and the blonde gave him an accusatory stare, "You see? Even _now_, it's obvious that you want her, that you're _jealous_ for her attention, jealous that _Oluo's_ looking at her when she's dressed like that and not _you_."

Levi looked back at him and Eld continued, "Even if you have_ Petra _convinced, you haven't convinced _me_ in the slightest because it's written all over your face. There's _no_ fucking way you rejected her after the banquet, and I'm not buying it for a second. I don't know_ what _happened that night, but I'd bet that with whatever happened, your pride is getting in the way. I_ also_ know that the one who's taking the fall in all of this is Petra and I'm not happy about it. She's miserable, and the whole squad has been out of sorts ever since because _you're_ being indecisive."

Levi tightened his fists, inhaling sharply as Eld moved toward him, powerful attacks being exchanged as a battle of speed began to take place. There were quick jabs, punches, ducks, and dodges that were traded between the two men and Levi all but growled, "I am _not_ being indecisive. I backed off, Petra backed off – it's been three weeks of hell, but a _consistent_ three weeks of hell."

Eld continued twisting, returning attack for attack without missing a beat – Levi was attacking him with intent to knock him out and end his irritating line of questions, but as expected, Eld's skill was undeniable. Eld grabbed Levi's fist at the same moment that the Captain grabbed his other fist, and the two continued to push and pull each other, both successfully immobilizing the other as they stared at each other heatedly.

Eld gave a sarcastic bite of a laugh as he looked down at Levi as their arms shook from the sort of tug of war they had fallen into. "Oh? So tell me Captain, what the hell was going on just a bit ago? You don't think I _saw_ that – that _all_ of us watched as you pulled Petra close to you? Tell me, what did you whisper in her ear that made her blush and give you those large eyes that made you smile? You really think I didn't see you look her up and down as she walked away? The way you looked at her when she took her shirt off just now? Dammit Levi, who do you think you're fooling in all of this?"

Levi pressed his lips together tightly, his voice low, "Eld. I'm _not _having this conversation with you; it's none of your damn business. Back the fuck off."

Eld rolled his eyes, "Oh sure, so you_ deny_ it before, but when I point out that you _are _in fact being inconsistent with proof no less, you just try to ignore it and say it's not my business? Well guess what Levi, you _made_ it my business because this is my team too and you're not leading it properly right now."

Of all that Eld had said, all that he had thrown in his face and drug into the light, _that_ grabbed the Captain's attention. At once he dropped his arms and instead of moving to attack or defend, Levi crossed his arms tensely and took a step toward Eld threateningly.

"_What_ did you say?"

"Need me to say it again?" Eld retorted hotly, also crossing his arms as their match came to a complete halt now that the conversation was taking a more serious turn that overstepped the bounds of just a normal discussion, "You aren't leading this team properly! You _refuse_ to acknowledge the bonds you've built with Petra, you _refuse_ to address the team and confirm that things_ have_ in fact changed between the two of you, you're lying about what you think you can get away with, and you've been unapproachable for weeks now because you're torn up about it. You want to be around her, but you're too stubborn to apologize so you spend all day in your office sulking – what, just hoping that _she _comes to _you_? You're pathetic! Meanwhile, I can't _tell_ you how many things I've had to do on the back end because the squad doesn't feel comfortable coming to you right now. Be it supplies, maintenance requests – tell me Levi, have you even _noticed_ that no one has come to you for_ anything_ as of late? That no one has needed their Captain _at all_, for even the _smallest_ of things? Even _once? _You didn't think that was_ strange_?"

A sort of building rage was coming over Levi as his second in command reprimanded him, and the Captain gave a sort of snarl, his arms shaking from something unrelated to the previous battle, "Eld, that's _enough_."

The blonde just gave another sarcastic laugh, "_Is it?_ So what's your plan then? Keep Petra at arm's length and reel her in when it's most convenient for you, only to push her away when your pride gets the best of you, break her heart and ignore her until she just 'gets over it' – then what, rinse and repeat for the rest of time? Face it Levi, you aren't _strong_ enough to reject her. You couldn't let her go home, you couldn't reject her that night, and you sure as hell can't reject her now. You will always have your moments of weakness when it comes to her, and the more you try to stop it or fight it off the worse it's going to become for everyone. Just admit you like her and that you_ want_ to be in a relationship with her. Simple as that."

Levi gave a sarcastic, haughty snort, "Fuck off. You seem to forget that Petra and I have successfully _not_ been in a relationship for five years and _counting_. You're taking this far out of proportion because you are wrong. I do not want to be in a relationship with her, or with anybody. That night was a onetime thing, Eld - a _mistake_."

"A onetime thing? A mistake? Right, I'd pay you _good_ to say that to Petra's face right now, because _you_ kissed _her_ and that was certainly no accident." Eld reprimanded with critical, testing eyes, "Captain, I'll agree that you haven't been in a 'relationship' or whatever with her before, but you're a bigger fool than I took you for if you believe for even a _moment_ that you can just walk away from her now. You've _always_ been drawn to Petra, and now that you're married and those boundaries fell lax, I'm calling your bluff because like _hell _you can build them back up – you value her too much to shut her out completely, and what's more, you want her like a man wants his _wife_. Just fucking admit it for Maria's sake and let's all move on! So you want Petra. So you are attracted to her. So what?"

Levi rolled his eyes and turned over his shoulder, "I'm done Eld. I don't have to take this bullshit from you."

The Captain was _actually _walking away, and Eld matched him step for step as he continued speaking, anger coursing through him as Levi actually had the_ audacity_ to walk away from him mid conversation. "Hey asshole, I'm not finished talking to you!" Eld called out hotly, his tone loud and condescending.

"Well I'm done listening!" Levi retorted with an equal ferocity; his volume also raised as he continued marching away.

At the loud, obviously angry voices that rang across the training grounds, the rest of the squad paused from their training, watching in silence as Levi began walking off the field in an obvious fit of rage, and Eld chasing after him with an equal intensity, still shouting.

"See? You're just proving my point." Eld bellowed, "You refuse to actually fix anything, you just walk away from the problem and hope it fixes itself! We're sick and tired of this, Captain; just address it once and for all! We've all talked about it, the guys and me, and this is getting out of hand! You're being a coward and-"

Levi paused in his tracks and turned around, whipping back toward Eld and coming toe to toe with him in a flash, "So you've _all_ decided this? You've all been talking about me _behind my back_ and you accuse _me_ of being a coward?" he stated in a tense, enraged hiss, then looked back toward the training grounds and noticed that his entire squad had paused from their assigned training and were each watching him and Eld with concerned, questioning eyes.

Levi gave a huff and nodded, a dark resolve coming over him as he pressed his lips together into a line, "Alright. Alright, _fine_. If you've all decided that's what you want, then let's fucking address it, here and now."

At Levi's suddenly dark tone and bitter resolve, Eld held his hands up in concern, knowing that if _this _was the mood Levi was in, he was only going to make things worse. His tone softened dramatically, "Now listen here Captain, there's-"

Levi pushed his arm out and shoved Eld to the side as he walked past him intentionally, eyes narrowed in determination as he spoke threateningly, "No, this is what you all talked about, right? _This_ is what you wanted to see? We're _doing_ this, Eld. If it makes me a better 'Captain' apparently, then I will set the record straight here and now so you little shits can settle it in your mind and we can all move on."

"Levi, listen to me. I really think you should-"

"Line up!" Levi shouted as he reached the middle of the field, crossing his arms as a sort of blind rage continued to overwhelm him, Eld's words ringing poisonously in his ear even now.

He was furious. They had _all _been talking? They had all been _avoiding_ him? He had been aware of the tension and admittedly it _had _been quiet on his end of the hall for a while, but he hadn't thought much about it because he had been too busy thinking over his falling out with Petra and -

_No_, he mentally decided as he took a breath of preparation.

It had been over three weeks. He had been patient, he had tried to keep quiet and put it all behind him, but if his squad was dead set on forcing his hand, then he would oblige and make_ sure _they didn't forget that he was still the head of this team, that he _could _in fact handle his adjusted standings with Petra, and that he was _not_ to be overlooked just because Petra was gun-shy around him.

As his squad cautiously walked toward the center of the field toward them, an obvious concerned hesitation slowing their steps, his voice rose, "Now!"

They each ran to their spots after hearing his command, and Levi spoke loudly, anger evident in his every word, "Everyone to attention, now!"

Immediately they each saluted and stood perfectly still, though Eld's head was turned to him and Eld gave him a firm warning shake of his head, to which Levi snorted, "Yeah Eld, you can go fuck yourself, because _you're_ the one who wanted this the most, right?"

There was a muffled groan and Levi glared at his team, pacing in front of them as he spoke, "Apparently there's been a little bit of _gossip_ going on, and it ends here and now. From what I understand, it seems you are all going to _Eld _when you need something, because you are too spineless and intimidated to come directly to _me_?"

As Levi paced, he noted that not a single one of his subordinates were meeting his gaze and he paused in place, his voice dripping with malevolence, "That ends _immediately_._ I_ am your Captain. Only in the event that I am busy in a meeting or have explicitly instructed otherwise are you to go to Eld for assistance. Is that understood?"

"Yes sir!" came the collective reply and Levi nodded and resumed pacing.

"Furthermore, it seems I've given you all far too much free time, because the fucking gossip doesn't stop just there. Rest assured, I can find something to fill the extra time you've had in the evenings, because it's clear you aren't disciplined enough to utilize it properly, and I'm sick and tired of your shit. Eld has confirmed with me that you are all concerned that I haven't been addressing my 'relationship' with Petra as of late, is that correct?"

At the mention of Petra's name, Levi watched his entire team's eyes collectively widen, and Petra specifically went considerably pale.

Watching this instant reaction only enraged Levi further, because it merely confirmed that Eld _hadn't_ been lying; they _had _all talked about it, most likely when Petra hadn't been around and the men felt comfortable speaking feely about it without himself or Petra there to deter the conversation.

Fucking…

He was so _beyond_ frustrated, feeling blood pounding in his ears as rage pulsed through him in waves. He needed to make a point so they got it through their heads that things were _fine_, he was in control, things were exactly as they needed to be, and he did not need them leering over his shoulder when it came to his standings with Petra because it was none of their damn business!

"It's time for some house cleaning." He confirmed with resolve, "Let me start first with the supposed 'men' on my squad. If you all have a problem with me, you come and say it to my damn _face_. There will be no more of this gossip about what I should, or shouldn't do when it comes to _my _squad. As your Captain I _demand _respect, and this going behind my back is to stop _immediately_. Is_ that_ understood?"

Another low, "Yes, sir."

Levi walked toward Petra then, his head held high as he looked down at her reprovingly. Her eyes were wide as an obvious nervousness came over her and he shook his head, watching her with narrowed eyes, "More house cleaning that needs to be addressed apparently: Is there a reason you defaulted to dressing like that, Petra? Was your shirt truly that overbearing that you had to remove it?"

He watched as Petra's eyebrows pulled down and she looked to her left where the rest of the squad was lined up beside her, silently pointing out that everyone else had also removed their shirts. As it stood now, he was actually the _only_ one still wearing his, and if he were being honest, he probably would have removed it earlier, but the various line up of events prevented him from doing so and it certainly hadn't mattered now.

Even still.

He watched as Petra continued to look at the rest of her team in confusion, and they gave her equally puzzled looks in return. Watching his team exchange confused, blank looks between each other _while in attention_, caused Levi to grow even more agitated because even now his squad wasn't listening to him! Where was the _discipline_? Had they all gotten so comfortable, so cocky, that they didn't even respect basic military rules?

He cleared his throat sternly, "Excuse me? Listen up you fucks, you're _all_ in attention so eyes forward! Now Petra, I don't _care_ what _they're_ wearing, I'm talking about _you_." He paused as he leaned down toward her, his voice low as he glared at the woman who had unintentionally brought so much tension and frustration in his life.

There was a mocking in his tone, his head cocked slightly as he spoke, "Do you like the attention? Does it make you feel warm and tingly when people watch you because you're dressed like this?" He quirked an eyebrow in challenge as her eyes widened; his voice cold as he spoke, "Well. If that's what you wanted, then you probably _should_ have joined Squad Leader Michael's squad when you had the chance – you could get_ that_ sort of attention every fucking day. _I'll bet you would have liked that, right?"_

He watched as Petra took in a sharp inhale, and she bit her lip as a mortified, indignant blush rose to her face at his implications.

"Captain, that's out of line!" Eld's angered voice spoke up and Levi's attention moved to Eld as he stood up more fully, away from her.

Levi pressed his lips together in realization - it seemed Petra had told him about that too then. Shit, was there _anything_ that they hadn't talked about? Just how long had his team been behaving like this? It seemed a full crackdown was well in order, because it was painfully obvious to him that they were all out of sorts and apparently needed to be micromanaged down to the smallest of details.

He crossed his arms and gave the blonde a long stare, "This is what you wanted, for me to be a better Captain and speak my mind, right? Stand_ down_ Eld, because I am not finished discussing the issues that _you all_ wanted to have addressed." Levi looked back to Petra who was looking down to the ground in attempts to not meet his gaze and Levi shook his head firmly, "Oh no. _None _of that. Fucking _look _at me Petra; that's an order."

She hesitantly brought her gaze back up to him with a worried, hesitant expression and Levi snarled as his eyes met hers once again, "Just so you and _everyone else_ understands," he directed his attention to Eld for a moment, then stared back down at Petra firmly, "Let me say it again because you seem to have _forgotten_ what I told you when I proposed to you all those nights ago."

Petra was visibly biting her lip, trembling slightly as he leaned even closer to her and matched his eyes to hers. She flinched but held his gaze due to his order, even though it was obvious she wanted to do anything but look at him right now. At least_ one _of them could still follow orders so it seemed.

Levi watched her with a grave expression, eyes boring into hers as he spoke viciously, "I do _not_ want you, understand?"

He spoke each word slowly and with purpose, a malice underlying in his tone as he continued slowly, ensuring each word was painfully clear as he bit out every syllable with purpose, "I do not want a_ relationship_ with you. You are my wife merely on _paper_, so make no mistake, you are_ just_ my subordinate and nothing – _nothing _– more to me. I agreed to marry you strictly for the purpose of keeping you on my squad, so don't get some grand illusion that you're something special just because you've got _my_ last name now. You're still just _Petra Ral_ in my eyes, and absolutely nothing has changed."

Her eyes were red and glassy by the end of his explanation and she watched him with unfallen tears, her shoulders heaving as her breathing became irregular. He gave a nod and took a small step back as he looked at his team, certain that if _that_ didn't placate their curiosity, nothing would.

"There. Now does _everyone_ understand that?"

Though it was hesitant, there was a low, "Yes sir."

Levi exhaled in overwhelming aggravation, still just as frustrated as he leaned closer to Petra who struggled to keep his gaze, "Good. Now do _you_ understand that, Petra _Ackerman_?" he spat her name out poisonously and she flinched again at his harsh tone, pained by the outright _mocking_ and _sarcasm_ that he spoke with as he said her proper, legal name.

She swallowed thickly and gave a shaky nod as a single tear ran down her face, "…Yes."

He tilted his head up and watched her narrowly, "Yes, what?"

She bit her lip and cleared her throat, her voice a quiet, trembling whisper as she forced herself to respond, "Yes, _Captain_."

"That'll do. Now, seems how-" his voice was strained as he grabbed the fabric of his own shirt and pulled it up over his head in a smooth motion, "you _lost_ your shirt, here's mine."

He wadded the material up in his hands and threw it at her firmly and she caught the shirt as it slammed up against her face. She held the fabric in her hands and watched him in confusion, "Uh...sir?"

He crossed his arms, "Considering you enjoy being looked at so much, I'm about to make your wish come true. Put it on, and then you can go run laps around the entire campus until the dinner bell rings. Bet everyone in this whole damn campus will wonder why you're running countless lap after lap; seems a girl like you would enjoy something like that."

Petra's mouth fell open and she watched him with large eyes. When he merely watched her with a flat, unmoved and uncaring stare, she took a deep breath and sighed as another tear ran down her face. She gave a broken nod and, moving slowly, she pulled his shirt hesitantly over her head, putting her arms through the sleeves one at a time and refusing to look at him as she adjusted the fabric over her stomach so it laid properly.

"Good, now fucking _get_."

Her lip trembled again and she wasted no time, pushing her weight into her heels and sprinting away as though she was actually grateful to leave. She made her way toward the track that bordered the Scout's campus without another word and took off down the path, not stopping or even attempting to look back.

"Now as for the rest of you-" Levi started tensely, though when he turned back around, he was greeted by the glares of all of his subordinates, their stares so enraged and threatening that it caused him to lose his train of thought completely.

"What is _wrong_ with you? The dinner bell? That's like three hours from now - have you lost your goddamned mind? What did she even_ do_ to you that justifies this?" Eld shouted loudly, and it wasn't a second later that Gunther was shouting next.

"You went too far, Levi! You think this is going to fix _anything_? Petra's been nothing but respectful and you treated her like dirt for no reason!"

He shook his head with wide eyes and shouted back at them in equal frustration, "What the goddamned fuck _is_ it with you all? You wanted me to address it, and I fucking addressed it! Have I not made things perfectly clear to her and _everyone_ now? What the hell do you fucks even _want _from me?"

Oluo's voice came next, a low grumble rather than a shout, and for some reason it cut twice as deep as anything else that had been said to him before. "Oh yeah, you addressed it alright. Made it perfectly clear that Petra deserves someone _better _than you."

Hearing his words, Levi snarled and took a large step toward Oluo, building momentum from his forward lunge and swinging his fist around until it connected with the man's jaw. Angry though he was, Levi knew how to control his strength so while it wouldn't knock him unconscious, wouldn't break his jawbone, Levi knew with confidence that it would hurt like a bitch.

Oluo stumbled back a number of steps as his hands went to his face, blood pooling over his lips as he coughed and spat blood into the dirt while shooting him a scathing glare. Though his eyes were watering from the sting, Oluo watched him defiantly and stood up slowly until he was standing proudly, "Fuck you, Levi. I _refuse_ to acknowledge you as 'Captain' because you don't _deserve_ the title, not after how you treated Petra."

Levi clicked his tongue and crossed his arms, "Yeah? Fuck you too, asshole. I'd ditch _your_ title but you don't even_ have_ one to start with."

Oluo rolled his eyes and again spat into the ground as he continued to rub his jaw, and Levi took in a deep breath and waved his hand, "You know what, fuck _all_ of you. I'm so fucking _done _with this. _Dismissed_ or whatever, see if I give a damn."

He began walking off the field in an angry storm as thoughts continued to engulf him, though as he made his way across the arena, he paused in step, looking down as he passed by Petra's discarded shirt that she had torn off previously, the fabric pressed into the ground, completely forgotten about so it seemed.

Petra's words suddenly rang in his ear – that today was the day apparently. Today was the day that she would successfully beat him in a match, according to her. He had promised her another round and her excitement had been palpable, the tension finally gone between them for the first time in weeks. He had felt the rush of electric air when he pulled her close and whispered in her ear. She had gasped in surprise, but trusted him implicitly and remained beside him. Even after all he had put her through, it amazed him that she had_ allowed_ him to be close to her, without question, without explanation…

An unpleasant twisting began churning deep within the pit of his stomach, a sour sort of feeling resulting that made his breath catch in his lungs as he remembered _what _he had said to her, as well as the fallen tears that his words had produced.

…Why had he done that? Why did he…

He cleared his throat to empty his mind of the suddenly crushing recollection of all he had said, of how he treated his squad, how he had belittled Petra so purposefully, and the tightness in his chest didn't go away, instead only intensifying until his gut seemed to ache with a sudden sourness. He gave a long, shaky exhale and pushed his hands into his pockets, walking off the training grounds and swallowing thickly as he realized that he was walking away, completely alone.

...

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End of Chapter

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...

Alright yall, breathe.

I think I've been staring at this spot, wondering what to type for a long while now. Of course, I remember writing out this section and how hard that was for me, and I remember my immediate friends reading it, and their reactions…so…

Not that it helps, but yall remember the concept of flying too close to the sun? The perspective here was written out through Levi, in attempts to make you see, or perhaps better understand where he's coming from and why it _happened_ like that. I think any other perspective just wouldn't have captured the problems or the fears and anxiety properly, and perhaps made it seem almost out of character through the eyes of someone else. The irony is, after reading it all over last night, I am convinced this is one of the most spot-on parts I have written thus far for Levi. I truly can't see it playing out any differently because he's been backed into a corner regarding one of his weakest areas in life - actual, meaningful intimacy - while at the same time, being told, with proof no less, that he's failing at one of his strongest areas of his life - his role as Captain. The combination of that, while being told that the same people he _trusts _are going behind his back and talking about him, could you imagine what that would do to someone like Levi, who has a hard enough time trusting and learning how to make meaningful relationships? Let's not even go into the fact he's been pissed off and desperate and lonely for a solid 3+ weeks, and it that moment it all seemingly boils down to_ Petra_ \- who he had _told_ he didn't want anything with, but she so easily crawled past his defenses and now look at the mess she had made for him! (Looks to above explosion and shrugs)

...You see it, right?

I was toying with the idea of doing another update this week, because I know this is a HARD section to be left on, but because it's such an important chapter, I don't want to post up an even sooner update, just to take the sting away. It's okay to burn a little, you know? Next chapter will come on Sunday, and we'll pick right back up as we always do.

Thanks for your support guys. I'll see yall next week.


	24. The One With the Broken Chair

Happy Sunday guys.

I am not sure whether I need to say thank you, or flat out apologize, because just as yall trust me to deliver good content, I need to trust that yall can _handle_ it when things aren't all sunshine and rainbows. I seriously cannot tell you the extent of which I fear posting that last chapter, because it's flat out UGLY to read, and considering that we are all Levi and Petra fans around here, that sort of legit flawed, disgusting behavior is far from a feel good, fun, breezy read and I was afraid I'd lose readers, get flamed, or have people write paragraphs about how I was perhaps just going for shock value or that Levi would simply NEVER do such a thing and that they were expecting more from me as a writer. (Note: I'm fine with disagreements, I am not perfect by any means – but there's a way to go about that, you know?)

All that to say that…man. You guys are just the best. Most of yall expressed your aggravation at Levi, that you did NOT condone his behavior, and I personally loved that many of you (while not blaming her of course) are not letting Petra off the hook either. Yall really are the best readers, so group hug and all that, because yall were so patient and kind and I really needed that. I wish to not be tar and feathered!

Enjoy the chapter guys!

...

* * *

...

It was as Erwin was sitting in his office, eyebrows knit together as he reviewed the document in front of him, that his office door opened and with the intensity of a storm, an angry, shirtless Captain Levi came into the room unannounced. He slammed the door shut behind him with a firm pull of his wrist, and Erwin blinked at the tumultuous sound that bellowed across the room with a deafening snap.

The Captain took one immediate and large step into the room and pulled a leg up, slamming his foot down onto a wooden chair and grunting as he kicked downward. The assaulted object gave a number of sickening cracks and shattered beneath him almost instantly, and Levi's lips drew together into a thin line as he slammed his foot down_ again _into the remaining pieces of the chair, until those too broke and cracked under his strength; the chair reduced to bits of broken wood and splinters in a mere five seconds after the Ackerman's unannounced arrival.

Erwin watched this unannounced display with rising irritation and silent question. He took a deep breath and set the document down, clearing his throat as Levi breathed deeply and stared into the ground in silence.

The Captain had yet to say a single word.

"You know Levi," Erwin began flatly, "When I told you to come to my office to discuss your behavior this morning, I didn't think I'd have to remind you that the destruction of military property is _also_ a punishable offense."

Levi's head was still bowed as he continued to stare into the floor, and his voice was quiet – a tense, enraged whisper so low it was hard for Erwin to hear, "I fucked up."

Erwin made a confused face and leaned forward over his desk, "Pardon?"

The Captain looked up with a snap, his face contorted in rage and Erwin wore a surprised expression, leaning back away from him as the Captain actually _shouted_ at him, "I said I fucked up!"

Levi was suddenly pacing in front of his desk, and Erwin could only watch him in admitted concern because the last time he had seen Levi this agitated was _years _ago, back when Farlan and Isabelle had died and the Ackerman had a blade at his throat in a resulting, all-consuming rage.

Erwin had_ no_ idea what was going on, but knew at once that something major must have happened for Levi to behave like this. Whatever it was greatly overshadowed any conversation that Erwin had intended to have with him regarding his sore attitude this morning, and the Ackerman had his complete attention.

Levi was still shouting, "The whole squad was talking – the _whole __fucking _squad apparently, minus Petra but-" he raked a hand through his hair in frustration and shook his head as he walked, words spilling out of him at an alarming rate. Erwin was certain he had never heard Levi say so much in a single breath before, "Shit! I'm losing control. Petra is fucked. The Squad is fucked. And _I'm_ fucked. It doesn't matter what I do to fix it, it's all gone to hell. Things were going_ fine_ but it was all _your _stupid ass idea to go out that night and then she…" Levi shook his head back and forth and groaned loudly, "Fucking damn it all! _Fuck! _If I _don't_ address it, it makes it fucking worse. If I_ do _address it, it makes it even _more_ fucking worse. And now, shit, you should have _seen_ their faces. I'll be damn lucky if they _ever _listen to a thing I say again."

Erwin's eyebrows rose as Levi gave a loud, sudden growl that caused his voice to crack as frustration continued to overwhelm him. Levi pinched his nose in aggravation as he finally stopped pacing and looked at him directly, "Erwin, you're the brains around here, right? Stop sitting there like a useless layabout and tell me what the fuck I'm supposed to do already!"

The Commander gave an exhale at Levi's desperate and angry demand, and he folded his hands across the center of his desk in contemplation. His voice was calm, knowing that both of them getting worked up would accomplish nothing. He watched Humanity's Strongest with an even stare and nodded toward him simply, "Very well Levi. Are you finished then?"

The Captain's expression contorted into a mix of anger and uncertainty, and after a moment of thought he shook his head stubbornly, "No."

Erwin merely nodded in acceptance, "Well then, as you were."

Levi exhaled and resumed his previous pacing, though his voice wasn't raised anymore. It _was_ just as angry, but Erwin was certain that the shaken Captain was finally starting to calm down from whatever had gotten him so riled up in the first place, "This was a stupid idea, _so_ damn stupid and we both know it. I _know_ what I'm good at, so I should have known that I couldn't fucking…I'm just not the sort that can do this kind of thing, like you or…" Erwin noted that Levi was actually, legitimately _struggling_ to explain himself, and his volume was rising once again because the inability to articulate his thoughts was frustrating him all over again, "Dammit all, I don't want to be the kind of man that…but I just…I _can't_ be-"

Again Levi trailed off with a loud sigh, once again raking a hand through his already disheveled hair with a sort of huff, and Erwin watched him keenly, his voice sharp as he responded, "Finish your sentence, Levi. You can't be what?"

Levi snarled at the Commander's surprisingly firm tone, only causing the situation to escalate further, "I don't know!"

Erwin remained unfazed and watched him narrowly. He knew he was pushing the Captain - knew he had to tread carefully because one false move and Levi would treat him the same way he had treated the now destroyed chair - but even still, Erwin knew without question that there was a_ reason_ Levi had come to him at a time like this.

Even if Levi didn't come out and say it directly, Erwin was well aware that the Ackerman trusted his input and valued his opinion more than anyone else in the entire military. Even if his manner was unorthodox, Erwin knew full well that Levi had actually come to him for _help_ \- and because of that, he was determined to not back down until he successfully sorted through the layers of anger, excuses, and defenses to figure out what was actually troubling the exasperated Ackerman that was struggling to speak his mind.

Erwin gave him an unconvinced, unamused expression, not letting up on the pressure as he observed Levi tensely with a raised brow, "I don't believe you. You_ just _said you know what you can and can't do. You_ know_ the words; you just don't want to _say_ them. Even still," Erwin glared at him in pointed accusation, "You come in here – shout at me, blame me for _your_ problems, _demolish_ my furniture - I _expect _an answer from you Levi; what can't you be?"

Hearing his demands and all but snapping, Levi moved directly in front of Erwin in an instant, slamming both his hands down onto the desktop as he leaned forward toward the Commander menacingly, "A fucking _husband_!"

There was a long pause that followed his words as Levi stared toward Erwin with an angry, yet undeniably… _pained _expression, and neither said anything for a long time.

Levi felt a deep seeded guilt come over him at the seemingly knowing stare that Erwin watched him with as a sort of understanding came to him over what had brought him to his office, and Levi looked into the surface of his superior's desk, his voice quiet as he repeated himself in a broken whisper, "I can't be a husband, Erwin…I'm just…I'm _not _cut out for this kind of thing. I said…I said such _terrible_ things to her."

Erwin gave a low sigh.

"Are you finished _now_, Captain?"

Another long pause fell across the room, and Levi's voice was a guilty murmur, "…Yes."

Erwin was tempted to smile at the softness, the acceptance of defeat that was in Levi's voice, but the amusement was lost in the reality that was his very shaken subordinate, his friend, and the words he had spoken with an overwhelming, palpable _hopelessness_.

Erwin swallowed in preparation and took a deep breath, "Sit down, Levi."

Offering no further resistance, Levi moved to sit in the remaining wooden chair that he _hadn't_ destroyed, and Erwin cleared his throat, his tone half asking, and half ordering, "Now. I want to hear it all. What's happening on your squad, and what's happening between you and Petra? Am I correct in assuming that the problems you're experiencing with both, are in fact related?"

Levi was slouching heavily into the chair and he gave a single nod, speaking slowly in attempts to explain it all, "I guess it started, well, who knows when, but _I'm_ going to start from when I was sick. I didn't know it at the time, but Petra went to Hanji and learned how to fill out most of the Officer forms I have to fill out. Ever since then, for months now she's been helping me on an almost daily basis, learning the ropes of correspondence and as a result, things have actually been turned in on time."

Erwin nodded calmly, not a trace of surprise on his face after hearing that Petra had 'secretly' been working behind the scenes for some time now, "Yes, I knew that was the case. Hanji tried to hide it as she knows how I feel about the nightmare scenarios that can be created for auditing situations; refusing to explain how your hand writing got _significantly_ more legible, how so much paperwork could be completed by a _sick_ man no less – hell, even just the mere fact that your paperwork _continued_ coming in on time – something that hasn't happened in…" Erwin suddenly smirked, "How long have you been a Captain now?"

Levi shrugged deftly, "Any time you want to demote me, Erwin, just say the word."

Levi _also_ wasn't surprised to hear that Erwin had known that Petra was assisting with his paperwork, due to the very same reasons that Erwin himself had just listed. He had been waiting for the Commander to pull him aside a week or so after his being sick and ask why papers with Petra's handwriting _still _kept coming in, but as time continued to pass by without even a hint of a warning glance, Levi knew that Erwin was intentionally turning a blind eye.

Levi looked toward Erwin and crossed his arms, sitting up a little more fully as he tried to explain his thoughts, "It was fine; we would talk and do paperwork together each night – I didn't think anything of it honestly – but it's obvious now that the closeness and familiarity was changing things, between her and me, I mean_. Then_ came the damn banquet and-" Levi shook his head, not wanting to explain in detail what he had been thinking, knowing that Erwin was just as much of a man as he was and would likely figure it out on his own anyway, "Well, _you_ saw her."

Erwin gave a single nod. Even though he could agree that Petra had looked stunning, more than that, it was _obvious_ that Levi had been extremely attracted to her - seeing the Captain so out of sorts around her had actually been rather entertaining to him, as Levi was often so put together and in control and was clearly caught off guard that night because it was obvious his attraction to her was unexpected. Erwin didn't delve into his thoughts and responded simply, "She looked good."

Levi gave a dark huff, eager to keep the conversation moving because he didn't want to think about how other men had been looking at her that night, "Well, when we got back to the Compound, I was…in her room with her and…"

Erwin noted that Levi was becoming more agitated again, his words having a nervousness, a sort of bite to them as he recalled the nights events, and Erwin's eyebrows pulled down, finding he was legitimately curious as to what had taken place that night after the pair had left the event, "Levi, did you…?"

The Captain gave a quick shake of his head and he looked to the floor, feeling a sort of shame even now as he thought the night over, "But…I wanted to."

"I see."

Levi didn't look up to see Erwin's expression; in that moment…he couldn't. There was some part of him that was afraid he had disappointed the man that he truly respected, and he already felt bad enough without his superior's judgement and weighty, knowing stare. Not wanting to linger on_ that_ subject either, for different reasons, Levi cleared his throat thickly, "Anyway. When I left her room, she was pretty upset. We had kissed, and in attempts to draw the line before it became something…dangerous…I came down a little too strong and Petra…" he sighed then, still able to picture the broken expression across her face, remembering how she had actually_ flinched_ away from him that night when he had stepped toward her, "Well, she was hurt. It's been three weeks since then and she hasn't really said two fucking words to me this whole time."

There was a long pause, and once it was clear Levi was done speaking, Erwin cleared his throat in thought, holding back on giving his opinion until he was certain that he had the full picture. He nodded toward Levi, "Okay. So that explains the _Petra _side of things - now tell me about your squad."

Levi groaned and put his head into his hands as he stared into the floor, "What's there to tell? You've seen it yourself; the squad has _always_ revolved around Petra, since the day she joined the team. There's just something about her that brings people together, and while that _usually _works in the squad's favor as she can rally the men with something as simple as a fucking _smile_, this time it backfired. I don't think she's said anything on a public setting to them, but the squad can sense something's wrong and has been tiptoeing around _me_ ever since. They are on edge, we _all_ are, and because of the fact Petra's keeping me at a distance, the squad is as well, in a sort of…protective default. It's been driving me insane because I can _see_ the distance, and I know I need to do something because it's_ my_ team, and yet…"

Levi sat back up fully and shook his head in defeat, "It all just kind of came to a head today. I've been watching the squad work together, almost at a distance, for so long now. They're all so comfortable with _each other_ as they complete the exercises, yet seem to_ individually_ have nothing to say by the time they came to me – seeing Petra laughing, conversing with fucking everyone _except_ me for weeks now – it's been…I don't even know how to describe it. Either way though, for today when it came time for Petra's turn for combat with me specifically, she wanted to change out of her uniform and that was fine, so she went to go change."

Levi shifted in his chair, "And then she came back out – enough time had passed that she missed her rotation with me and when I told her that I was looking forward to when she came back around," he gave a defeated shrug, "As tiny as it is, she gave me this look and for the first time in weeks it felt like I had done_ something_ right, that things were _actually _going to be okay. But then…"

His tone shifted and Erwin quirked an eyebrow, "Then what, Levi?"

"And then _Eld_." Levi stated flatly, a displeased expression darkening his features at the mere mention of his second in command, "Jackass was in my face, grilling me about everything that had happened with Petra and the team, because of course Petra talked to him about it - she tells him _everything_ but never even _tried_ to talk to me - he went off about how I wasn't leading the squad, giving examples that I couldn't ignore, and it made me furious. Worse still, Petra was in the background wearing her shorts and her sports bra and it was distracting because…"

Levi trailed off as he tried to pick his words and Erwin watched him in return with a quirked eyebrow, curious as to how Levi would articulate the fact that he was _extremely_ attracted to her - to such an extent that it was disrupting the normal discipline he carried himself with.

Levi merely groaned, "Well, she's _Petra_." He summarized in exasperation, and though the explanation was vague, Erwin found his words to be a rather apt way of putting it. Had it been anyone else, it wouldn't have_ bothered_ him, Levi likely wouldn't have even noticed at all, but due to the simple fact it had been _Petra_, his wife,_ that_ grabbed his attention.

"I'm always on edge when she dresses like that because she has _no_ idea the impact she has on people, the impact she has on my own _team_ – and meanwhile Eld just kept talking all the more, saying how much I had hurt her, how I was sending mixed messages or some shit, and how he and the whole squad had talked about it and Oluo just kept _looking_ at her with this look, and he was fucking _leaning _into her, and I couldn't think straight. I knew I shouldn't be mad, but I was just the same and…"

Levi's expression fell, and a true, remorseful expression came across his face as he prepared to explain his actions to Erwin, somewhat surprising even _himself_ at how horribly he had treated her – the low, _despicable_ things he had accused her of. In his hurt, in his anger and _jealousy_ \- he had known where she was most vulnerable because she had shared the nature of her insecurities with him in the past - and that was the_ exact_ place he had chosen to strike.

He was the worst, most despicable sort of person.

"I lost control and wanted to make a point. I lined everyone up and told Petra, in front of everyone mind you…" he swallowed thickly, feeling Erwin's heavy stare; his voice was quiet as guilt surrounded him thickly, "I told her that I didn't want to be with her. I told her that I wasn't interested in her and that I had _never_ been interested in her, and she needed to accept the fact that the only reason I had married her to begin with was just to keep her on the squad and nothing more."

Levi heard Erwin sigh heavily, and he wished _desperately_ that he was done. He _wished_ that was the extent of the cruel things he had said to her, but that would have been a lie because he was hardly finished. He took a deep breath, "I told her that she was intentionally dressing like that because she liked the attention; that if she craved attention that much, she should have joined Squad Leader Michael's team. After that, I threw my shirt at her and told her to put it on and run until the dinner bell. The men refused to fall in line after that and…here I am."

When Levi looked up from the floor toward his superior to silently confirm he was_ finally_ finished, Erwin's mouth was hanging open and the Commander blinked a few times in surprise. He supposed that_ did_ account for why Levi was shirtless, and Erwin seemed to struggle to know what to say in response, his words coming to him slowly, "You…_handed_ her your shirt, or you…?"

Levi merely stared at him for another extended moment and Erwin gave a heavy sigh, "Got it."

…

* * *

...

She was breathing heavily.

It was _hot_.

Petra had no idea how long she had been running, but she was exhausted.

How soon until the dinner bell rang? Considering how many people were still on active duty, she knew it had to be at least another hour or so. Could she even _last_ another hour? Even if she slowed her pace down, she had already been training all afternoon with the squad and conditioned body or not, there was only so much she could give until she bottomed out.

A part of her debated just stopping, because she somewhat knew that Levi was overreacting to _something_ that had happened, what _exactly_ she didn't know, but she found she just didn't have the nerve to do it, because it was still a direct order and she was on active duty.

She took a deep breath and continued moving forward down the path, her skin itchy from sweat as the loose fabric of Levi's shirt continued to slide across her skin every which way as she ran. She supposed that under any other circumstances she may have thought about the meaning behind wearing his shirt – puzzled over the fact that his shirt was still so big on her, even though by all accounts he had more of a compact, lithe build, the fact that she was wearing his shirt _at all_, secretly blush after noting that it smelled just like him – but more than anything, she found she was just mad.

Furious.

She didn't even _get_ to enjoy those things because as she felt the shirt against her skin, the fabric all-consuming and suffocating, it reminded her of the terrible things he had said, and to some extent… it made her feel_ dirty_. The fact that of all people, Levi had said such vile, terrible things – the type of person he apparently thought she was – it felt like he was still all around her, judging her and degrading her and...

She coughed as her thoughts plagued her continuously. She wanted nothing more than to rip the t-shirt off her body, set it on fire, and scrub her skin until it outright bled. She wanted to forget all he had said to her – forget the spiteful look in his eye and the haughty disgust he spoke with as he tore into her with his words.

She felt so, so stupid.

She should have known from the start that she had been playing with fire. She should have known that Levi didn't want someone like her. Even though she had backed off, even though she had been perfectly respectful and mindful of all her interactions with him, it was like he still knew that she cared for him, that her feelings were different from what they had been previously, and went out of his way to put her in her place time and time again until she broke.

Of course he didn't want to be with her.

Of course he had only been doing his 'job' when he proposed to her.

He had told her from the start he wasn't interested in her...

He was Humanity's Strongest and she…she was just _Petra Ral_, like he said. She had known from the start that there wasn't anything between them, and that there would _never_ be anything between them.

So why then?

Why did any of this surprise her? After all, had she not responded honestly that night, confirmed that she herself was more comfortable _not _being in a relationship with him? Why did she think that maybe, perhaps there _was_ something there after all? And most of all…

If she had known it all from the beginning then…

_Why did it hurt so damn much?_

As she continued running, Petra somewhat lost her footing and stumbled forward, half tripping and half kneeling to the ground as emotions overcame her. Her exhaustion was making her movements sloppy and muddy, to the extent she was apparently tripping over her own feet, and Petra finally gave up and took a moment of pause to catch her breath and clear her mind.

She was so furious, and so hurt, and so, so embarrassed.

Quiet tears ran down her solemn face as she stared into the ground on her hands and knees, her expression remaining perfectly blank as she wasn't sure _what_ emotion she felt most strongly.

Even now, _even now_, all she wanted was for him to be there – to look at her with that teasing smirk of his and talk about how slow she was, or how he knew she would trip sooner or later because she was always so damn clumsy. He would offer her a hand and she'd shyly take it, stand up and wipe her eyes because there was _no_ way she had been crying over him. Of course not. It was allergies. Something got in her eye. He'd laugh at her false bravery and as they walked back, he'd give a simple and quiet, 'Sorry.' and that would be enough for her to put it all behind her.

It frustrated her that she couldn't be truly angry with him, because if anything she _deserved_ the rights to be livid after what he had done, but it didn't matter either way- the mental scenarios she came up with or the ways the day could have gone differently - because Levi _wasn't_ sorry.

He _wasn't _there with her, wasn't chasing her down, hadn't tried to find her to retract his order. The fact still remained that above all… he didn't want her as anything more than a mere subordinate.

She just wished she knew how to explain to him that she didn't_ want_ to be 'Mrs. Petra Ackerman' if it made him_ that _uncomfortable. She didn't need what they had that night at the gathering or that igniting spark that had caught flame in her room; she just wanted to be _Petra_ again. She wanted what it was they had _before_, that unnamable something that made her blush and kept her at his side every night in his office. She wanted the butterflies and the laughs and…

Not _this_.

The distance was driving her mad and the more he pushed her away, the more it devastated her because they were friends and his relationship to her mattered, a lot. This morning had hurt, the last few weeks had hurt, and his shouting at her in front of the entire squad…

She hung her head as she pushed her hands off the dirt, sitting up on her heels in silent contemplation.

She gave a broken exhale and with a smooth motion, pulled his shirt up over her head, exhaling in relief as the air touched her skin and made her feel just a little bit better and just a little more like herself, free from the heavy fabric that overwhelmed her senses and oppressed her spirit. She grabbed opposite ends of the shirt and tied the fabric around her waist as she stood back up from the ground in determination.

She wiped her eyes and shook her head; because while she never would have thought she'd find herself wearing the Captain's clothes, she certainly didn't think it'd be from something like this.

She took a breath and pushed her legs beneath her, picking up her pace and praying that the dinner bell rang soon.

…

* * *

...

There wasn't much said between the two while Levi silently berated himself and Erwin contemplated the best way to respond to all that Levi had told him. After a handful of minutes passed by, Erwin looked up from his desk, "So after your tirade, how did you handle things? Did your follow-up conversation not go over well or something?"

Levi looked up with a sort of confused, blank expression as though silently stating that he had _no_ idea what he was talking about, and Erwin returned his stare in shock as the silence merely extended again. Erwin could agree that Levi wasn't exactly the first person he would think of when it came to human relations, but at least with his own squad the Captain seemed to have found a system that worked for him. Even still, surely even_ Levi_ understood that immediate follow up was in order after a blunder like that.

"Levi…you _did_ talk to them afterward, right?"

Levi pressed his lips together and gave a slow, cautious shake of his head, "Well, _no_. I left the training grounds and walked around for a while to try and cool down but…I knew I messed up but I was _still_ mad and I didn't know how to fix it so-"

"You came straight here and demolished my office instead." Erwin finished for him, and _again_ the pair fell silent.

Erwin blinked in thought, a new sort of alarm evident in his tone at Levi's newly divulged information. If Levi had just left his team and didn't have any sort of discussion to confirm he had lost his composure, then…

"Wait. So you mean to tell me that Petra is_ still_ out there running?"

Levi mentally seemed to pause and finally gave a weak nod as though he_ knew_ there was something he was forgetting, "Yeah, probably."

Erwin groaned loudly and brought his hands up to his forehead, rubbing his temples in aggravation as he spoke, "Levi how- how _long _ago did this all take place? How long has that poor girl been running because _you_ lost your temper?"

Levi gave a long sigh at Erwin's increasingly exasperated tone and looked at the clock up on the wall in attempts to formulate a guess, "Maybe…an hour, hour and a half?"

Erwin was on his feet, his eyes wide as his tone rose from irritation, "And that's_ after_ you had already done an afternoon of training? Levi, it's over eighty-five degrees today, she's going to collapse!" The Commander glared at his raven-haired subordinate firmly and walked past his desk and toward the hall pointedly, "Hanji!" he called out loudly, and after a few moments there was a muffled reply that echoed back across the hall. Erwin called back, "I need you in here, _now_."

As he waited for Hanji, Erwin looked back toward the Captain coldly, "You are _unbelievable_. They are your comrades, your subordinates – people that look up to you and respect you - _especially_ Petra. What's more, they're your _friends_, right? We're _going _to talk about what we can do to fix this, but know that as your Commanding Officer, I am _furious_. I trust you to be a good Captain that has their best interests at heart, not a _child_ who tears people down because they felt left out. This is pathetic, and I hope you realize that. You're a grown adult, Humanity's Strongest no less, and yet all it took was one single_ kiss_ for you to fall apart."

Erwin continued and shook his head in disgust as he reprimanded him, "For the record, your squad deserves _better _than the Captain they got today, and what's more, Petra deserves a better _man_ than the miserable coward that belittled her in front of her team just to 'make a point'. When I told you at your wedding to watch over her, I meant it Levi, and this is_ not_ what I had in mind."

Erwin's voice was low and he glared at him from over his shoulder, "I expected _better_ of you Captain, _much_ better."

Levi could only stare into the ground in a humbled and remorseful manner, every bit of anger he had previously now being washed away and replaced with guilt and frustration. He was losing count of just how many times he had been told that he was handling things wrong. He himself had known that, from the second he had backed away from her that night. Petra's eyes and the squad's silence reminded him _daily _that he had been handling things wrong, Eld had certainly made a point of telling him that today, and now Erwin was also saying something similar…

But…it just wasn't helping! It hadn't helped three weeks ago, and it certainly wasn't helping him now.

Levi knew a hundred different ways to do it all wrong, a hundred ways to hurt her, a hundred ways to destroy his team from the inside out, and now… now he was at his wits end, because he just needed to know _one_ way to _fix_ it. Yet try as he may, the problem remained that he had never been good with people. Building bridges, forming deep bonds that_ lasted_ \- that was something he didn't know_ how_ to do. He was a loner by nature, but now that his world was being forced to expand, in his attempts to readjust and make room…he was making significant mistakes.

That was _why_ he had come to Erwin in the first place.

He _wanted_ to do better – _to be better_ \- but he needed a push in the right direction because he didn't even know where to start.

"Hey Comman- Levi…?" Hanji asked as she came into the room, a concerned expression falling across her face as she noticed at once that something was not right. Levi was shirtless – uncommon for the proud and always put together Captain – the atmosphere was tense, Erwin was livid, and Levi wasn't even turning around to greet her with his traditional snide 'Four Eyes.'

Erwin gave a smack of his lips and crossed his arms as he looked between Hanji and Levi, "Well, Levi here did a number on his team today, Petra specifically. Hanji, I need you to run out and find her - be quick about it please. She's somewhere running laps around the campus. With any luck she hasn't _passed out _yet, although that is a distinct possibility that you need to be prepared for."

Hanji blinked at Erwin's statement, and he continued, "When you do find her, I assume she'll be a little…distressed. Tell her that I stepped in and she is fully released from the Captain's order. As a head's up, it's likely that she will want to be by herself for a while, but only grant her that freedom _after_ she's eaten a full meal and drank no less than two glasses-"

"Three." Levi interjected quietly with a serious whisper, and Erwin paused, watching the Captain for a moment and giving a subdued nod at the Ackerman's amendment.

"Alright then, no less than_ three _glasses of water please. Understood?"

Hanji gave a slow, albeit confused nod and she watched Erwin with a concerned expression, "Uh, right. Find Petra, make her stop running, get her hydrated and fed and then…leave her be?"

Erwin gave a single nod and Hanji shook her head, "Alright, yeah, I can do that. No problem at all."

As Hanji left, Erwin moved back around his desk and slowly sank into his chair. He looked toward Levi, his expression softening as he observed his beaten down Captain who looked dejected and outright miserable. "Levi. Look, we're going to fix this, okay? I'll agree you made some serious mistakes, but nothing is damaged beyond repair here."

At his words, he watched Levi give a sort of disbelieving snort and Erwin smiled at the skeptical Captain, "Hey now, at the very least you should trust your _team_ a bit more; I think you're selling them a little short here because they really are quite special. Now as for Petra…I'm speaking as your Commander, but also as your _friend_, Levi. I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable, but I need to understand a few things and need the freedom to speak candidly with you."

Levi looked up from the floor and gave a suspicious stare toward Erwin, though gave a slow nod and watched him evenly, curious as to what Erwin was about to say that required such a disclaimer.

The blonde exhaled and leaned back into his office chair, "First off, you very much seem to be opposed to having any sort of romantic relationship with her. While I normally would have no problem with this, it's evident that your words and actions seem to disagree, and I think that's the major source of the problems you're experiencing. You say you don't want a relationship with Petra, yet you seek her out. You tell her your marriage is just on paper, but then you kiss her. You explain to your squad that nothing is going to change, and deny it when they point out how much things _have _altered in a mere three months. Let me ask you this, when it comes to being involved with Petra on a romantic level, what are you so afraid of?"

Levi's mouth fell open and he tried to pick his words. He was grateful Hanji had left because this was a conversation he didn't want to have with anyone, _ever_, but if he had to – he supposed his thoughts were safe enough with Erwin. He mulled the question over and shrugged, "Of _this_. Of my squad falling apart, of _hurting _her. Petra is strong, but her bonds make or break her; it's her biggest strength and weakness in one and I don't want to be the person that eventually shatters her." Levi paused and licked his lips, "When I proposed to her, I really didn't think that she and I would go about life any differently than we had before. She's been on my squad for five _years_ so it seemed unlikely that a simple piece of paper would change things between us when there was already so much history to act as a foundation and set the standard. I mean, she's _always_ been beautiful, but it's never been…_a problem_. She's_ always_ been social, but she's never gone out of her way to intentionally seek _me_ out. We've been alone together many times in the past, but the air never had that _electricity_ that it has now. Eld was grilling me as if I've been blind to what's 'always been there' between me and Petra, but he's wrong. It _hasn't_ been there. She's just been Petra, the female subordinate on my squad. Sure, we were friends; I won't deny that or pretend that we didn't get along well, but that's it. There's been nothing between us like that, not once since I met her, so there's no way I could have predicted that three months could change so much between us, when the past five years have been completely platonic and professional."

Erwin smiled at Levi's assessment, and the Captain continued with a shrug, "Regardless the change in chemistry, I don't want things to change permanently because I can't risk getting distracted or caught up in emotions that can cloud my judgement, and neither can she for that matter. As her Captain, I just can't condone it because there's too much risk and it could destroy the whole team. More than that, if Petra was ever going to be in a relationship, obviously that's a little in the past _now_ all things considered, but none the less, I would have_ never_ wanted her to be stuck with…well, someone like me. You said so yourself, she _deserves_ better."

Erwin gave a shrug that read as 'perhaps' and after a moment, the Commander replied, "But she wants _you_."

Levi rolled his eyes and gave a hollow laugh. He could admit that Petra watched him with a little something extra right now, but he suspected it didn't go beyond a mere surface level of admiration, "I doubt it. With Petra right now its…probably just a crush if anything at all. Her father did a number on her self-esteem and thanks to the wedding, she looks at me like I'm some sort of hero simply because_ I'm _the one that allowed her to stay in the end. Girls get _crushes_ on me Erwin; they don't fall in love. Surely you've noticed_ that_ by now."

The Commander gave a dry scoff, "Ah yes, how could I forget your fangirls. Have to beat them off with a stick."

Levi gave a shrug of his own, "Even with Petra, I doubt there's any real depth to it. It's all just situational and given enough time, she'll get over it and move on."

Erwin frowned at Levi's surprisingly critical, dismissive words and he watched him in concern, "Tell me Levi, do you _really_ believe that?"

The shorter male said nothing to this and Erwin frowned pensively, wondering just how honest Levi was being at the moment. Either he _was _being truthful and sadly thought that little of himself, or he was being _defensive_ in attempts to not get his hopes up, that a woman like Petra could actually see something within himself that made her _want_ to stand by him.

In either scenario, he was surprised to hear Levi speak about Petra like she was just some girl with a blind crush on him, because Erwin knew full well that Levi knew his subordinate better than that. No, there was something deeper at play here, and though Erwin could see it clearly, Levi was the one who needed convincing.

He decided to press a little deeper, "So, tell me Levi; you think _no one_ can love you, or just not _her_?"

Levi made a face and rolled his shoulders, "_Love?_ Erwin, please. I came to you for practical advice, not faerie tales and bedtime stories. I am not looking for 'love' - I just need to fix my mistake and make things right between me and my squad again. If you can stick to things that actually_ matter_, please?"

Erwin nodded at Levi's demand and laid the topic to rest for now, knowing that the Captain was stubborn and would not be pushed further on the matter, even if it was more related than Levi seemed to be able to acknowledge.

So be it; he would just have to try a different tactic then.

Erwin cleared his throat and adjusted the sleeves of his shirt, undoing the plastic buttons at his wrists and slowly folding the fabric up to his elbows as he spoke, "Let me speak bluntly on a _different_ subject then, and get straight to the point. Why haven't you slept with her? Assuming she finds_ you_ as attractive as you find _her_ of course; _theoretically_ speaking, what's the problem _there_?"

Levi coughed at his superior's unexpected and surprisingly direct question, because as close as they were, they had never had any sort of conversation like _that_ before and Levi preferred very much to keep it that way - though Erwin continued to watch him evenly, and it was painfully evident that he was expecting an _actual_ answer.

Even still, the silence prolonged and Levi watched him in continued surprise, hesitant to talk about Petra in such a way with anyone at all, and finally Erwin smirked at Levi's reluctance, "Oh come now Levi, I know lust when I see it - and for that matter, so does your_ team_. You're not fooling anyone. Perhaps the only one you _are_ fooling, is Petra, which is a shame because if she knew that you desired her in such a way-"

"It would ruin everything." Levi stated firmly, a stern warning now present in his tone as he attempted to try and end the conversation before it began. It wasn't locker room talk because Erwin had nothing but respect for Petra, but Levi himself was still having a hard time coming to terms with just_ how_ attracted he was to her, and the last thing he needed was Erwin encouraging him to fuck her just for the mere sake of fucking.

Erwin shrugged passively, leaning forward over his desk and allowing himself a dark chuckle as he flexed his arms that were finally free from the restraining white fabric, "It's just _sex_, Levi. And considering you are legally married to the woman, your different ranks and roles aren't a problem. The way I see it, if you aren't going to be _emotionally_ involved with her, that's one thing, but there's no reason to shut down _that_ avenue as well, right? Considering the sexual tension and frustration is just going to keep building and getting worse for you, it really would make _a lot_ of sense for you to-"

"No." Levi cut him off firmly, sitting up fully in his chair and shaking his head in emphatic disagreement, "No, not Petra. I couldn't…I can't_ use_ her like that."

Erwin quirked an eyebrow as he watched Levi continue to glare at him defiantly, as though his encouragement to pursue an empty, physical relationship with her actually _offended _him. To Erwin, this alone was proof enough, but it wasn't himself that needed proof, it was Levi, and the Captain still wasn't on the same page just yet.

Erwin sighed, realizing he needed to push him harder.

He decided to watch him flatly, a certain degree of callousness to his voice as he spoke, "So you're just going to go mad with desire, physically craving what you _won't_ indulge in for, what, _the rest of your life_? You're being foolish, Levi. It wouldn't be_ using_ her - considering the way I've seen her watch you, I'd wager she's probably in the exact same place you are. Everyone has needs, your subordinate too, and let's not forget that your marriage has shut down all other avenues of physical fulfillment for both of you. You are making this needlessly complicated, it's _just_ sex."

Levi scowled, his voice exasperated and audibly angry, "Don't you get it, Erwin? No, it can't be _'just sex' _with her! That's _not_ how she operates. She would never _be _with someone she doesn't care about - and even if she _would_ be with me just because she is attracted to me or whatever, _if _she even is attracted to me _at all_ of course, I couldn't ever…I may have been with a lot of women in the past that meant nothing but…she's…Just no. I couldn't_ do_ that to her. Not. With. Petra."

There was a pleased smile across Erwin's face as Levi stared into the floor, still angrily puzzling to himself in attempts to find his words even now. Erwin's voice did not betray his expression, his tone remaining harsh and demanding as he continued to try and lead the Captain through an unknowing battle of wits. There was an audible challenge, a_ belittling _element to his voice as Erwin spoke, "Oh? And why not, _Captain_? What makes her different than any other woman out there? You want her, don't you? Why the hesitation?"

"Because she's Petra! Because I care about her!" Levi stated waspishly in defense of both himself and his subordinate, and as he looked up to snarl at Erwin, about to tell him off and demand to know what the fuck his problem was, his expression changed at once as he heard his_ own_ words and saw that Erwin was actually_ smiling_ at him.

A silence fell over the room and Erwin nodded once with a proud look in his eye, knowing that Levi's words were in fact the proper answer that Levi himself needed to hear and, eventually, come to terms with.

Levi's eyes were wide and he mumbled to himself in a shocked stupor, "Because…I care about her."

The Commander's voice was warm, "Exactly. I understand that things are complicated and I won't push you one way or another when it comes to her, but just as there are actions you _won't _take because you know it will hurt her in the end, the puzzle piece you were missing before is that denying the care you _do_ have for her right now is_ just_ as damaging – perhaps even more so all things considered. Petra shouldn't ever feel like she's nothing to you, because I know full well that there's not a single other person in the entire Scout Regiment that you would have gone this far for. You wouldn't have married Hanji, you wouldn't have married a girl from a different squad if she was in the same position - you may not _love_ Petra, and I'm not trying to convince either of you that you're written in the stars or that you're harboring secret feelings for each other, but at the same time… we both know she's not just _some_ girl to you."

Erwin gave a small smile and leaned over the front of his desk toward Levi, speaking in an amused sort of whisper, "And just between you and me, we both know that you're not just _some_ guy to her either…but, I'll let you sort that one out on your own time because you're more comfortable in denial, and that's okay."

There was a long pause as Levi watched the Commander in wonder, and Erwin shook his head and exhaled, knowing his point was finally made and that they could move toward resolution. He cleared his throat, "Now, there's no easy formula that will magically make you a people person or prevent problems like this in the future. One thing you need to remember is this: You _are_ in a relationship with Petra – _but_, that's nothing to be afraid of."

Erwin folded his hands and watched Levi calmly as Levi wore a guarded expression as though ready to deny his claims, "By all definitions, you're in a relationship with _me_. I'm your Commanding Officer, I'm a friend, I'm a mentor. You're in a relationship with _Hanji _as well. She's your coworker, _also_ a friend, and yet a source of many of your headaches and an avenue for you to let out your petty insults – point is, not all relationships _have_ to be romantic. The difference between them are the boundaries you set that are unique to that specific relationship. Find boundaries you are comfortable with for Petra and don't be afraid to adjust them along the way. You'll be fine, alright?"

Erwin had thought that had been a good enough explanation, but when Levi simply watched him with a blank look, Erwin sighed and tried again, adjusting himself in the chair and giving a smile, "Okay, maybe that's a little vague for you. Let's try something else then. You said things were changing before, between you and Petra, right? At what point during those changes did you start to feel uncomfortable?"

Levi's eyebrows knit together, and he paused in thought, "Well…I don't know. Petra is always respectful so there really wasn't anything she did that made me uncomfortable per say. The problem was when I realized_ I_ was pushing things and in turn, pushed _her _away. That's where it all went downhill."

Erwin nodded and shrugged, finding the solution seemed simple enough. "So, maybe next time…_don't_ push her away? If she's not making you uncomfortable and seems to be naturally respectful of your boundaries, then trust that she can be around you without pushing you in a direction you don't want to go. If things keep developing, that's okay, because you will _communicate_ what you are, and are_ not_ comfortable with. If things stay the same where you are friends that happen to be married, that's also okay too, because you will be happy to be on the same page and not constantly wondering where the other person is at or what they are expecting from you. Sounds easy enough, right? Just don't over complicate it, don't think it over too much and just let nature take its course. Honestly I think your overthinking things is what got you into trouble in the first place."

Levi gave a shaky exhale, nodding a few times as he accepted Erwin's advice bit by bit. The Commander stood up from his desk, walking around and sitting up slightly on the desk's surface as he crossed his arms and watched Levi with a serious expression, "_But_, first thing's first. You'll need to find her and apologize - a real, heartfelt apology. She's embarrassed, she's hurt, and she needs to know that your words were empty because even if it was obvious to_ everyone else_ that you were bluffing, I can't help but feel that Petra assumes you meant every word."

"And…my team?"

Erwin gave a small, amused laugh at Levi's wide eyes, "You know, you seem to forget that you have a relationship specialist on your squad, that in your words, everyone seems to revolve around. How about you start by simply patching things up with Petra, and see what happens from there. I'll wager that your squad takes you by surprise."

Levi wasn't satisfied by his answer, because it was even _more_ vague than Erwin's original advice of 'just set your boundaries with her', but even after his heavy, skeptical stare, that was all Erwin would say on the matter.

Erwin gave another laugh and nodded toward the door, "Look. Just go talk to Petra, and don't leave her room until she accepts your apology. That's an order Levi, so you might as well get to it. You're dismissed, Captain."

Levi gave a hesitant nod and slowly stood up, turning back toward the door and walking out as Erwin continued to chuckle from behind him. Levi crossed his arms somewhat self-consciously as he moved out of his office and down the hall, a frown coming to his face as he left his superior's office.

…He _really_ didn't like being laughed at.

...

* * *

End Of Chapter

* * *

...

Aaand that will do for this week.

I swear, every time I get to 'bring in' a new character, I love it so much. Erwin isn't a 'new' character for my story, but he doesn't get a lot of screen time just due to the nature of who the story revolves around – but his day has finally come! I love Erwin so much because he is absolutely brilliant, but never goes about getting the results in a way one would accept. (Meaning that he is so much fun to write!)

What I love so much about this section, is it highlights what I would call the difference in 'expertise' of working with Levi. If you notice, both Eld and Erwin were actually working toward the exact same goal from this chapter and the last. It is painfully clear to both men Levi is in denial and for his sake, and the squad's – Levi needs to at least _acknowledge_ the fact that things are different between him and Petra, but more than that, that he _wants_ them to be different because thus far he's been refusing to accept that little factoid due to fear and selfishness and_ that_ was what was poisoning his team – not Petra, nor their falling out!

And yet, Eld's approach – even though the _outcome_ of 'just get Levi to admit!' was the correct end goal, Eld's approach yielded completely different results! Levi is stubborn and can't handle being shouted at and disrespected and questioned and belittled like that. Erwin however is cunning, and knows full well that if I push here, he will shut down, so I have to push here, side step there, give a long judgmental stare here…

Thank heaven for Hanji and Erwin. Hanji for understanding Levi, and Erwin for being smart enough, and patient enough to force him into line and stop being such a bonehead.

Thanks again for yalls awesome responses! Say a prayer for my boys in red today. #chiefskingdom

~Midnight


	25. The One that Petra is Unprepared

Hey Squad!

*relaxes into couch and sighs*

Man it's a lazy day in the Ozarks; I think it's going to rain. My energy has thus gone kaput. Between the fall festivals, the weather, Starbucks going straight for my wallet with that pumpkin cream cold brew, I'm quite sure I have fused with the cushions of my couch and will never see the light of day again.

It's a fair trade though. Thanks to all the festivals, I've got saltwater taffy for days! Mmmm. Yall do your thing, and Imma sit here and eat my weight in taffy.

…

* * *

...

When there was a knock at her door, Petra gave a groan and looked up from her bed, wiping the tears out of her eyes and not even caring when her voice cracked, "For the last time! I'm_ fine_. I just want to be alone for a while, okay? I'll see you all in the morning."

She wasn't sure who it was this time, but it didn't matter.

Since she had gotten back to her room, it wasn't long before the guys had all come to visit her as a group, then thirty or so minutes later, Oluo had come back to check up on her, not long after that it was Gunther, and Petra had decided to lock her door as soon as he left. She was tired of their pitying glances and various bits of advice that ranged from complaining to Erwin, assaulting the Captain - it was even suggested that she move to Hanji's squad considering the Captain clearly had no respect for her.

She had laughed it off, explaining she had no place on a team that revolved around research and numbers, and again tried to confirm to her angry and worried teammates that she was fine.

Of course, she _wasn't_ fine, everyone knew it, and that's why they kept coming back. As touching as it was that they cared so much for her, she just couldn't deal with them right now. They wanted to make things better, to take the pain away, but that wasn't possible because it was _Levi_ and nothing they could say could fix the rift between them – could fix the things he had said to her.

So, she knew that more than anything, she just needed time to think and sort her thoughts out, alone.

It didn't matter how she addressed it in her mind, she just _couldn't_ get his words out of her head. She wasn't even sure what hurt worse – the fact that Levi, _even Levi_, had accused her of using her body to get ahead, the fact that he looked her straight in the eye and told her she was nothing to him, or if it was the knowledge that after all this time, she was just _Petra Ral_ in his eyes.

She heard her doorknob twist and creek and Petra stood up from her bed in irritation, annoyed that her unwanted visitor wasn't seeming to take a hint. "I _just_ said that I wanted to be left alone for a while, fucking go away!"

She began to move toward the door, preparing to kick it in attempt to scare them off – she presumed it was Eld as he was the last one that hadn't given her a solo visit yet – but the door opened of its own accord and the _Captain_ stepped in quietly.

"Sorry, I heard you but…this is important."

He shut the door behind him and Petra blinked in confusion because for one, she hadn't expected that it was actually _Levi _on the other side of the door, but what was more, she could have sworn she locked it - perhaps she was mistaken?

As Levi looked at her, there was a strange note of concern in his gaze. His eyes were filled with regret, anxiousness, longing - Petra tightened her lips as a sort of rage filled her because – no, there was _no _way he had said the things he had today just to _apologize_ for it three hours later, as if that would make it all better!

She took one intentional and aggressive step toward him and though he could see it in her eyes and knew exactly what she was about to do, he didn't stop her. A deep-set frown came across her features and in a moment, she threw her hand back and slapped him, _hard_, a high-pitched smack echoing off the walls in result; the impact of her hand across his face having enough force behind it that it made his eyes water and ears ring.

He blinked a few times at the pounding sensation that was throbbing deep within his jaw and he stared down into the floor for a few moments to get his bearings again because the room was somewhat spinning. He cleared his throat and kept blinking the sting out of his eyes, his voice strained as he spoke through the pain, "Okay, I deserved that. I just-"

Petra crossed her arms and looked up at him narrowly, not giving him the option to explain himself. "Who do you think you _are_? You kiss me, then in the next moment push me away and make me feel _terrible_, you ignore me for weeks, and then you decide to get all cozy with me this afternoon, what, just so you can go in for the kill and_ obliterate_ whatever pieces are left of my self-esteem? And now, _now_ you have the audacity to come in here with those eyes and act like you're _sorry_? You are…"

Petra paused as she tried to find her words and Levi looked up toward her with a guilty expression, an angry and swollen red mark appearing on the side of his face from where she had slapped him. Under the weight of his remorseful stare, she gave a sniffle and wiped her eyes because she _had_ slapped him like he deserved, outright slapped the strongest man in the entire military no less, and she couldn't even be happy about it.

The truth was, she didn't _want _to hit him – she_ wanted_ to not feel so small, to not be so _insignificant_ in the eyes of Humanity's Strongest. She wanted the thoughts in her head, the nagging insecurities that plagued her, to finally end. She wanted the overwhelming shame to go away and she wanted to feel _trust_ when she thought of her Captain.

Not shame, not guilt, and… certainly not this overwhelming doubt that she was, or could_ ever _be, enough for someone like him.

Her lips tightened in a scowl, "I don't _know_ what, but you're something alright. Now you_ listen _to me, Levi - you can…you can try to devalue me, you can make fun of me and tear me down in front of the guys, but-" As she spoke, her voice got warbly and tears were heavily blurring her vision. Again she rubbed her eyes and gave a frustrated groan, "Shit, why _now,_ dammit? I'm angry, so why then? Why am I _crying _dammit? Fuck!"

The intensity of her voice weakened and though she couldn't get more than a whisper out between her tears, her eyes still held a sort of defiant fire as she watched him in warning, "Make no mistake - you will _not_ treat me like this, Levi. I may…mean _nothing_ to you-" Again her voice cracked and Levi gave her a concerned look as if asking if she was going to let him speak at all, and she forced words out of her mouth that came out in a high pitched sort of whine, "But you _mean_ something to me, a _big_ something, and I- ugh, dammit!"

A sort of sob escaped her and she turned around in embarrassment, turning her back to the Captain and bringing a hand over her mouth as tears ran down her face with greater force. She didn't want to _cry_, no, she wanted to _scream_, to put the pompous asshole in his place and _demand_ his respect because she had treated him nothing if not respectfully so he owed her at least that much – but it was just…she wasn't mentally prepared to see him while her thoughts were still so unsorted like this!

She hadn't believed that Levi himself would come to address her so soon, if he even intended to address her _at all_. He had already been ignoring her for weeks so in her mind, what was another few days, and yet here he was with that damned look in his eye that seemed to see right through her. As angry as she was, she was hurting even more, and the fact that he was here at all tested her resolve because as much as she hated herself for it, she secretly_ wanted_ him to be the one to pick up the pieces. It had been weeks of her longing to hear his voice, longing for his conversation and attention, and while her anger was justified, _more_ than justified, she couldn't understand why part of her was _relieved_.

From behind her she heard a long sigh and the sound of footsteps. She could sense him standing right behind her, but she didn't dare turn around to face him because even if she was vulnerable and weak when it came to Levi, she still had her pride, and her forgiveness would not be so easily won by the man who had belittled and demeaned her not hours before.

"Petra…" he whispered her name quietly, a gentleness and a sort of caution in his tone. It was as though he was afraid he would break her. A hand was placed on her shoulder and Levi gently tugged at her in attempts to get her to turn around, his voice cautious and light, "You should know I'm not good at this sort of thing and it would help if you-"

She shook her head and pulled her shoulder out of his grasp with a shrug, staying rooted in her spot as she refused to face him. She bit her lip and continued staring into the ground as tears fell down her face and onto the floor, "Maybe you should leave, Captain. I'm sorry, but I just can't do this right now. Maybe tomorrow or maybe-"

He groaned, "_Petra_-"

There was a desperation in his voice that caused her to reconsider because he _sounded_ so sincere and yet…

His hands moved up to her forearms gently. Instead of pulling her around or nudging her this or that way like she was expecting, and subsequently prepared to fight against, Levi instead pulled her back against his chest tightly. He wrapped his arms fully around her front in a sudden embrace, his grip sure as he held her against him. She exhaled in surprise, her mind blanking as she was suddenly pressed so securely against him.

From behind her, his lips were close to her ear as he spoke, "_Please_ _listen_," he whispered softly, "I'm sorry, okay?"

For a moment, she almost considered giving a small nod, a part of her content to just relax against him because it was the only thing that made_ sense_ to her in this mess; allow him to soothe her troubled mind and wipe her tears away, but an alternate, protective side of her sparked to life fiercely. She shook her head vigorously, pulling at his arms and stubbornly trying to resist him because the side of her that _wanted_ to linger and enjoy his touch was the_ same_ side that had gotten her hurt so badly, over and over again, by the exact man that she was tempted to give in to even now.

"No. No, I'm _mad_ at you!" she retorted hotly, speaking more to herself than the Captain and trying to bolster her wavering resolve. Though she continued to pull and try to wrestle out of his hold, Levi merely held her tighter, stubborn in his own right as he too fought to keep her close to him.

She wrestled against him for a moment longer and gave a frustrated sigh because try as she may, she knew she could never outpower him. Even if he had the upper hand, she refused to give into him. She_ wanted _to be angry and make him feel terrible for what he had done, but she was just so _exhausted_, and it was hard to fight what came so naturally to her after weeks of being so distanced from him.

"You're mad?" he questioned lowly in her ear, and Petra merely gave a nod by way of response, causing Levi to give a small chuckle at her stubborn nature on full display, "Well good, because you_ should_ be. You _should_ be furious. _Be_ mad at me, just…" he exhaled, somewhat pleading with the woman in his arms and praying that he was somehow appealing to her good graces, "Just be mad _with_ me, _please_. Be mad while I'm still _here_, and you can vent your frustrations or hit me, or shout at me, or cry or…whatever it is you need from me because I…"

He swallowed thickly and he leaned even closer to her, feeling her take a sharp breath of surprise as he spoke so close to her. He shook his head in quiet admission, "Dammit Petra, I fucking _miss_ you."

There was a pause that followed his words, and Petra gave a long sigh.

Levi allowed himself a relieved exhale as a smile pulled at his lips, inwardly noting that he must be doing something right - because Petra seemed to fall back into him, her body relaxing back against him, intentionally resting her head back against his shoulder as she clamped her eyes shut and cried silently in defeat, hot tears rolling down her face and into the fabric of his shirt. She tilted her head away him and he felt her tremble through quiet sobs that continued to wrack her body. He frowned, guilt overwhelming him as he _watched_ her suffer through the pain that resulted from _his _shortcomings and _his_ temper.

This wasn't the first time he had made her cry after some of his thoughtless actions, and he felt even more guilty because some part of him knew it wouldn't be the last.

Fuck, he just wished there was something he could _do_; maybe something he could say that would make it right or take the sting away because everything he had said today had been nothing more than him trying to deny the obvious. "Petra, I was angry today because-" he paused for a moment in thought and sighed, "Well, the _why_ really doesn't matter, does it? Point is, what I said was…"

As he struggled to find his words, though it was subtle, he felt her take a shaky breath. She was still looking away from him but her words were clear and precise, "Levi…tell me, what do I mean to you?"

He frowned at the question, feeling uncertainty and wanting and a number of things all at once; frustrated that she even had to ask _at all_, yet even still…

What_ did _she mean to him?

Truth was, _he_ didn't even know the answer to that question, and even_ if_ he did, would he even be able to put it into words?

How could he explain the anxiousness he felt, waiting with a nervousness in the pit of his stomach to see if maybe this was the night she finally came back to his office after so long? How could he explain the calm that he felt, the peace that she brought to him when she watched him with that smile he knew no one else would ever receive but him? How could he explain to her that he was scared out of his mind, because Eld was right, he wasn't strong enough to push her away, and as much as he wanted to dive headfirst into all that she was because he trusted her, he just as badly wanted to push her _away _and intentionally treat her coldly because that was more safe than the unknown.

How _could_ he explain such things to her?

As he thought, Petra shifted her head and looked up toward him – her large green eyes wide and questioning as she waited for his answer. He stared down at her for a long moment, and mind made up in a sort of come what may approach, Levi closed his eyes and pressed his lips against hers because he knew for the life of him that he would never be able to explain it to her, the best he could do was _show_ her.

His lips pressed hesitantly against hers, soft and tenderly, and Petra gave a sort of cry and turned her head to one side with a snap, biting her lip and giving a defiant shake of her head, "No. No, you _hurt_ me, Levi." She whispered bitterly, and he nodded in agreement, his pride pricked from her warranted rejection.

"I know. I'm sorry. If I could take it back, I would." As he spoke, he lightly pulled her hair back to one side of her neck and carefully kissed the spot where her jaw met her ear, pressing his lips against the skin that expanded down her jawline, his movements slow and transparent as he lightly kissed her skin – ensuring his grip was loose so that if Petra wanted him to stop, she had every ability to step back from him or push him away.

Even still, she remained in place, although rigidly, and he whispered against the corner of her lips with resolve, "I swear, it won't happen again." He ran the tip of his nose across her cheek and she bit her lips anxiously; he could feel her breathe in and out as she wrestled with her thoughts.

"I'm mad, Levi." She stated softly, but with a tangible fire in her tone, "So, _so_ mad. The things you said to me today…the way you made me feel, even the way you said my _name_ – damn it all, I just can't get it out of my head. It hurts. It hurts more than words can say and I'm trying to sort it out, trying to build up my mind and my heart but it's just so difficult because…" she gave a broken sigh, "Because it's _you_. You mean so much to me and…"

He moved to kiss the edge of her mouth with a feather light caress and she gave a sort of whimper, almost turning into his kiss but changing her mind at the last second and she turned away from him intentionally; his lips meeting her cheek instead. He sighed at her persistent rejection and Petra looked to the ground nervously, "And _this_ isn't helping either. I can't – I can't _think_ straight when you do that. I'm so damn mad and hurt and you can't just come in here and…gods my head is spinning."

He paused in place, his voice quiet as he prepared to take a few steps back, certain that he was pushing her too far in attempts to assuage her anger, "Do you want me to stop?"

She paused in place, as though actually considering his question for some time.

Eventually, she gave a long sigh.

"…No."

At her hesitant words that were spoken in an almost sort of defeated pout, he gave a shadow of a smirk and pulled her shoulder. She offered no resistance this time as he directed her to slide around into him, now facing him directly instead of having her back pressed against him like before. He adjusted his position until he was looking in her eyes, and he couldn't help when a small smile came to his lips at the reproachful, cautious stare she watched him with.

He brushed the tears off her face and pushed the hair out of her eyes with the pad of his thumb, speaking as he did so.

"_Be_ mad Petra, because what I did was wrong. But…" he looked down to her lips and trailed off as her own expression changed to a sort of waiting, _expectant_ stare. He watched her part her lips intentionally, impatiently waiting for him as though she could care less about what he was to say, and he exhaled in defeat.

This woman would be the death of him, because Eld was right, he just _couldn't_ deny Petra.

He brought his hands up to the sides of her face and he pressed his lips against hers fully, and he felt Petra, slowly and cautiously, _agonizingly slow_, kiss him back timidly.

He felt her hands slowly climb up his shoulders and she tenderly kissed him, her lips so soft and cautious that after a moment he felt even more guilty than before, if that was even possible, because it was obvious she was ready to pull away at any given moment, as though she was _expecting_ for something to go wrong or for him to retaliate negatively as he had before.

He intentionally kissed her _more_ deeply as he pulled her against him, putting every unnamable emotion he felt into his actions; his frustration, his wanting, his fear and his desire, as he moved his hands around her, pulling one around the back of her neck and the other settling at her waist, bringing her closer to him still and exhaling against her skin as she continued to kiss him with a still obvious caution.

He pulled back, his breathing coming in short pants as he spoke, "Damn it woman, I'm not going anywhere, okay?"

There was a pause after his words and Petra watched him with a strange, suspicious stare. Levi was about to speak again, confirm that he had technically been _ordered _to stay there until she accepted his apology, but never quite got the chance. In the next moment Petra had wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned into him, passionately kissing him with abandon, a desperation evident in her actions as fresh tears began to run down her face.

"You…" she spoke angrily against his lips in a tearful snarl, "You're an _asshole_."

"Yeah." He agreed, brushing his tongue against her lips testingly.

She bit his top lip firmly and while it didn't bleed, there was a sharp pain that resulted from her ferocity and he hissed as her teeth bit into his sensitive flesh. "I'm _furious_, Levi."

He licked his lips as he pulled back, tasting a metallic coppery substance and he smirked in realization. "Good. You should be."

"You keep _saying_ that."

He pulled her neck firmly toward him with a barely tamed fierceness and he pushed his tongue into her mouth as she gasped from the force. He pressed his tongue against hers forcefully, and she gave a breathy moan when he eventually pulled back so they could catch their breath, allowing her to taste the blood on his lips that she had drawn from him previously.

"You're an amazing woman Petra. You shouldn't take shit from _anyone_, not even me."

As he said this, his eyes were narrowed critically, and she realized he was being completely serious. She paused at the serious turn and swallowed in preparation as she spoke the words that had been plaguing her relentlessly. "Levi…I've got to know. Do you care for me? I'm not… I'm not just…some_ girl_ that's on your squad? Before when you said that…I understand that our situation is just a result of everything with my father, but I feel that things have changed since then and maybe, but if I'm reading into things then I've _got _to know because…"

He groaned as she looked down to the floor nervously and he pulled her chin up with his index finger, "Woman, if you only _knew_ how much shit I've been getting lately. Pretty sure it's obvious to everyone _except_ you that you're not just some girl to me."

She gave him a tearful smile, "…Really?"

"Really. Now fucking kiss me woman, _please_. It's been three weeks without a damn word and if you give me one more fucking 'Good Morning Captain' I'm going to lose my shit."

She gave a laugh and leaned back into him, both somewhat testing the other's reactions as they tiptoed and tested the boundaries they had once agreed and sworn to each other that they would not cross, because they so clearly didn't_ want_ the other in such a way.

Petra's lips pressed against his in light and hurried pecks, pulling at his lips with a sort of bite before moving down to his jaw. His lips parted and a sort of sigh left him when Petra pressed her lips lightly against his neck. He could feel her tongue flit out against his skin for just a brief moment, and his mind completely blanked from the desirable and unexpected sensation.

Her hands ran down his shoulders, over the fabric of his shirt, palming his chest and causing his heart to race as her actions were morphing into something different, something with _intent _that caused an intensifying ache to start to build within him from her bold advances. His breathing was more heavy as she stood up on her toes, leaning toward him as though she were planning to kiss him again, but stopping_ just_ short as he leaned forward desperately to meet her, being left hungry and mouth parted when she teased him with a mere _shadow_ of a peck before dragging her lips gently back across the edge of his jaw line, and stopping at his neck as she traced the shell of his ear with her lips.

Her hot breath on his skin caused a wanton tingle to run down his spine and he gave a low exhale that turned into a suddenly sharp gasp as he felt her bring his earlobe into her mouth.

"Fuck, Petra…what are-"

She sucked on the skin for just a second and his words died on his tongue in an instant, unable to finish his sentence as his mind blanked a second time. In a knee jerk reaction, he tilted his head back and a soft groan left his throat when she nipped at the taut skin of his adam's apple, her hands still running over his chest languidly and making it impossible for him to think about anything that_ wasn't _her mouth or infuriatingly light, teasing caresses.

She continued trailing him with light, open mouthed kisses and when she reached his ear again, her hot breath continued to tickle his skin and drive him mad. "Levi…" she breathed against him, her words a heated, sensual whisper, "This day. These past few _weeks_, it's been a damn nightmare. _Make me forget_."

She looked back toward him with a come-hither gaze before pressing a fervent kiss against his lips that made the breath catch in his lungs as though inhaling fire. His hands tightened around her hips to ensure they_ didn't_ start roaming her body outright, because he knew the meaning of her words, knew what she wanted as _her _hands moved unbiddenly over his chest, and he felt a sinking feeling in his stomach because he had almost made that mistake once, and _especially_ after today, he couldn't risk making the same mistake again.

"No, Petra," he stated breathlessly against her full lips, kissing her gently and taking care to ensure that his voice was soft but left no room for debate, "I've taken _enough_ from you today. That's not why I came here."

Though he wasn't returning her fervency, he wasn't successfully stopping hers either. She only intensified her kiss with a wave of passion and Levi moaned deeply into her mouth in response, caught off guard by her unrelenting and erotic actions as she continued to bait him mercilessly. She pressed her body into him and arched up into his chest, giving a slight moan as she tilted her head back and exposed her long neck to him as a sort of invitation while she wound herself against him suggestively.

With her soft curves pressed into him, the sounds she was making, and the painfully desirable sight she was with her kiss swollen lips and elongated neck, he began leaning down toward her throat in a lusty trance, but caught himself and he stood up rigidly, causing Petra to give a small smirk at his last second retreat. She grabbed the collar of his shirt and undid the top button, rubbing her thumb along the newly exposed hollow of his throat as she spoke with a honeyed innocence, "No? Why not, _Levi?_"

He swallowed thickly at hearing his name roll off her tongue in a purr, and Petra continued breathlessly, "You came to make it up to me, didn't you? Think about it."

She ran her hands _down _him this time, down his chest, over his sides, near the hem of his pants and going so far as to loop a thumb into the crease of one of his front pockets, tracing the hollow of his hip in a caress through the pocket's thin lining. He groaned at her brazen touch, stiffening as she traced a single finger up the center of his abs with her other hand, looking down him and watching her own finger as it traced over his stomach. Her voice was soft and sweet, beckoning him to comply with her demands, "…_Please_?"

He exhaled, low and deep as she continued to press herself against him intentionally, touching him in ways that made it hard to think and even harder to push her away because he was_ trying_ to do the right thing and fuck, _this wasn't fucking fair_. She was lithe and beautiful and desperate, _panting_ as she watched him with an inviting stare that spoke of promise, all but begging him with sugary words and sultry tones. Her voice, her boldness, her absolute trust - he wanted her so damn bad, wanted to explore the softness of her body that contoured so effortlessly against him - _fuck would it really be so bad if they just_…

He locked his jaw and made a pained face, taking a deep breath.

"Petra, _no_." he repeated with a strained exhale, trying desperately to ignore the ways she touched him, holding onto her shoulders and forcing _her_ to remain in place as he took a step _back_ from her in order to create a safe distance between them. He gave her a serious look and allowed the silence between them to build as he caught his breath and forcefully willed the fire coursing through his veins to dissipate in a painful, unsatisfying end. When Petra attempted to take a step toward him, he locked his arms and shook his head sternly.

"Stay. You're hurt and vulnerable and Petra, this is _not_ the way to fix it." He whispered tensely, "Now,_ behave_ woman. I know you, and I know you don't want this."

At his tone, she frowned in contemplation before looking to the ground and giving a long sigh.

Her heart was pounding, her emotions were out of control, there was an ache deep within her stomach that made her body crave his touch, he had been watching her in such a way that made her feel empowered and worthwhile and it bothered her because…He was _right_. Of course he was. He always was.

What was more, she wasn't even sure if he ever would..._be_ with her like that, but even in the event that…perhaps he would, she didn't want it to be resulting from something like this. She was sloppy and crying, she must have looked terrible; it really was no wonder Levi had pushed her away. She was so inexperienced, what the hell would she know about _actually_ seducing a man? She gave a sort of laugh at her silliness, taking a few moments to herself to reign in a sort of control and she looked up toward Levi with a remorseful, sheepish frown.

"Hey uh-"

Levi returned her stare with a serious shake of his head, "Don't you dare attempt to apologize. It's my fault for putting you at odds to begin with so I won't hear a word of it. I _want_ to make it up to you Petra, but not in a way that's just going to lead to more problems later."

She gave a nod of her head and dug her toe in the ground as she tried to bolster up the courage to speak her mind and request what she actually wanted from him. She pressed her lips together and swallowed thickly, looking up toward him as she spoke softly, "Well, there _is_ something you could do, maybe? I mean, you…you don't have to, because maybe it's just me being silly or, I don't know, I just…" she paused and watched him with a sad expression, "I've missed you too, you know? The guys are great, and I love the squad but…"

At her frazzled sort of statement that trailed off, Levi gave a small smile and watched her bemusedly. He crossed his arms and nodded, "Petra. What do you want?"

She took another breath and bit her lip, "Stay with me tonight? No, no - not like, _that_ or anything." She corrected herself with a sort of stammer at his immediately defensive stare, knowing how her words must have come across after her previous antics a mere moment ago. She crossed her arms and gave a shrug, "I just want to be close to you right now, it's been a while since I've spent any real time with you, so it would be nice if you just…I don't know, hung out with me for a bit. Just for a little while, before I fell asleep?"

He stared at her for a long moment, and gave an extended sigh. Of course that's what she wanted from him. Something so simple and tender – even after how terribly he treated her today, in her kindness and gentle spirit, she simply longed to stand by his side because that was her very nature. He wanted the same - to be near her and grant her request, probably more than she knew, but there were a number of problems that instantly arose in his mind in the event that he lingered in Petra's room after hours. He had work to get done, she needed sleep, and with the fact he was already on the rocks with the men of his squad, he didn't want them to think that he_ had_ taken advantage of Petra – something they would undoubtedly accuse him of if he tiptoed out of her room first thing in the morning.

His voice was cautious, "Petra, I don't know. We are both on active duty tomorrow and after today, you _particularly_ need to get some proper rest. You can't afford to stay up late just because of me."

He was hoping she might back down and listen to reason, but when she merely watched him with wide, hopeful eyes, he exhaled in defeat and rubbed his temples, "Okay, alright listen. I'll stay, but you _have _to go to bed and once you're asleep I'll need to leave because I've still got work to get done. I've got those quarterly reports due and my weekly analytics haven't been updated, the training reports are behind and-"

Petra's eyes narrowed at his words, a clear sort of worry now evident in her gaze, "Wait. Captain, you're behind again? Oh shoot, I never even thought of that. We can go right now and get it done; I can't believe I didn't-"

As she spoke, she was already walking toward her door and Levi stopped her, intentionally reaching the door first and holding his arm against it firmly as he watched her with narrowed eyes, "You know, if you continue to act without even an _ounce_ of selfishness, it'll be your own damn fault when someone comes and takes advantage of you." He paused and shook his head, smirking at the confused look across Petra's face because he knew his words were wasted on his tender-hearted subordinate. He crossed his arms and tried again, "_You_ are going to bed. I will stay here with you if that is what you wish, but under no circumstances are you permitted within ten feet of my office right now, understood?"

She merely blinked at looked at the closed door in wonder, "…So, I'm confused. We're _not_ going to get your paperwork caught back up?"

"Fucking hell. Get your ass to bed, woman."

.

* * *

End Of Chapter

* * *

.

So, as always, I'm curious as to your thoughts? I've had a lot of people call for Levi's blood and suffering because he is/was such an insufferable pick, and while I as the writer and fellow fan wanted nothing more than to belittle the jerk and hang him out to dry all those months back during the writing process…

I just couldn't see Petra able to keep an_ actual_ grudge against him, if he ever sincerely apologized to her. If yall ever looked at the character 'stats' of how they rank on certain character traits on 1-10, I think Petra's rate for kindness was in fact, a ten! (I hope I'm not making that up, too lazy to fact check right now.) As we all know, relationships are complicated, and I tried to write it out as well as I could, but whereas before when Levi had hurt her, he walked away completely, leaving Petra bleeding and as a result, growing some thicker skin because she _had_ to – there was no one there to help heal except herself! As a result, she was cold, distant, fake, and guarded and just playing her role perfectly because it's all she could do with Levi holding her at arms distance.

This time around, in the heat of the aftermath, Levi actually shows up – something she had NOT expected – and while she fights him to the best of her ability because she's hurt and miserable and bleeding – reality is that she misses him and aches for his friendship, and fact of the matter is, as much as an absolute prick Levi can be – Petra's _care _for him is deeper than her anger, and she can only keep up her pretenses for so long before her more true feelings bubble to the surface. (Much as Levi had once predicted they would!)

Either way, I hope this week was an enjoyable read and highlights the growth, the weaknesses, the problems of their relationship – all that good stuff.

As always, say a prayer for my boys today. We got that retro paint out on the field and Arrowhead is looking sharp. Fingers crossed for 3-0!

~Midnight


	26. The With with Only One Question

Morning everyone!

So I will refrain, but I wish I could write a book of an author's note responding to all yall's comments one by one – in short (because I know yall don't need my speeches haha) I have received so much praise for how I am writing out the characters, the plot, all that, and truly I am so glad that this has become a staple for yall and a way people can join me in kicking back and relaxing a bit. I hope to continue to bring you great content that will blow your mind and make the start of your week amazing, so thank you for being faithful in giving me your feedback, growing through the characters with me, and putting up with my sappy speeches.

Enjoy the the chapter and happy Sunday :)

...

* * *

...

It wasn't much later that Petra was nestled in bed and as agreed, Levi remained with her. He chose to occupy the foot of her bed rather than lay beside her, wanting to ensure that a safe distance remained between them so there was no question of her (or his) intentions that would encourage boundaries to be tested.

He was resting with his back against the wall, his legs extended over the short end of her bed and a silence settled over the room as Petra attempted to relax and unwind from the day's rather taxing line of events. It was amusing to him to some extent, that even though Petra was fully splayed out across her bed, she was short enough that her feet didn't reach the end of the bed to where he was sitting. If it weren't for the fact that they were talking every so often, she wouldn't have even known he was there at all.

"You know, since you're here," Petra whispered into the night air, a sort of calm bringing a gentleness to her tone as she spoke, "I've got some questions for you."

Levi turned his head to one side, not really able to see Petra now that the light was turned out. Whether it was just a cloudy night or a new moon, Levi couldn't be too sure, but there was virtually no light being diffused through her window and it made it impossible to see anything.

Levi turned his head back, choosing to face forward and rest his head against the wall considering there was no point in trying to see her now; it was just too dark. "I agreed to stay until you fell asleep, not to an interrogation."

He heard a disappointed sigh, "You're no fun Captain. Not even _one_ question?"

"..._One_."

There was a contemplative pause and as the silence extended and Levi began to regret putting a cap on the number of questions he would answer, because in the moment he hadn't thought of it - defensive by nature and off put by the sheer vagueness of 'questions' - but it was likely that she would have asked simple, mindless things of him – he imagined things such as his, likes, dislikes, hobbies, things she somewhat already knew of him with enough thought – but now that she was limited to just _one_ question, it was obvious that she was intentionally thinking of something deeper; a loaded or meaningful query that would be considerably less simple to answer.

He could only wait in silence, curious as to what his subordinate would end up asking him in the end. He supposed to some extent; it would shed a bit of light on _her_ as well. Of all things she wanted to know, what was the one thing she wanted to know the_ most_ about him? It was an interesting concept in its own way and he found himself somewhat intrigued as to what Petra would come up with.

Another extended silence passed by, and he heard her lips part as she prepared to speak.

"Alright. Tell me Captain, why do you fight?"

Levi blinked at her question as she continued, "In the Scouts, I mean. I've heard rumors just like everyone else, something to do with Erwin forcing you here or whatever, but we both know that if you didn't_ want_ to be in the Scouts, you'd have every ability to just disappear into the night, and yet… _here you are_."

She paused and rolled onto her back, the mattress shifting beneath her as she spoke and her voice now directed at him from the adjusted angle, "So why do you do it? What makes Humanity's Strongest battle the Titans instead of….crime, or drug lords, or some other important cause? Why the Titans?"

Levi gave an empty smirk at her word choice that painted him to be some sort of apparent do-gooder or self-contrived hero, admittedly perplexed that above all, she wanted to know his motive for being involved in the war against the Titans. He crossed his arms over his chest, still finding her question an admittedly strange choice. "All the things you could ask – aren't you curious about…I don't know, my past? The circumstances that _led_ to Erwin bringing me here? Maybe something like the number of partners I've been with? You aren't curious about _those_ things?"

He could feel Petra shift again, the bed creaking in protest as she sat up violently. Her voice sounded closer due to her upright position and her voice was sharp with unease, "Well_ now_ I am!"

Levi made a face, realizing that he had only opened a can of worms by putting those thoughts in her head, and he decided to ignore her outburst considering he had only agreed to just the one question, and he really didn't want to have to explain…_any_ of those things to her.

"I fight because I must." He stated simply, and though he couldn't see it, he could so easily imagine her expression as a dark silence followed his answer - her narrowed eyes, her protruding, pouting lips, and her wrinkled nose as she reviewed his words mentally.

She was frowning, he was certain of it.

"That's _it_? You make a big deal out of only answering just the one question and then you sidestep it with an answer like that?" her tone only confirmed his prior assumption and he felt himself give a snort of amusement as she continued in offense, "I want a new question! If you aren't going to give me a real answer then it doesn't count!"

"Alright, alright." He conceded and Petra hesitantly laid back down against the mattress, shifting for a few moments until finding a comfortable position and falling still again as she waited for an actual, more insightful answer.

"When I first came to the Scouts, it was due to a sort of deal I made with Erwin and all do respect, but that's not a story I intend on regaling with you. For a time, perhaps I _was_ just floating in the Scouts with no clear cut goal in mind, but as other Scouts kept dying all around me, eventually there was one expedition that a man on my team died in my arms and I promised him that I would keep fighting on in his stead."

Levi paused at the memory pensively and he took a moment to reflect. That Expedition had been so long ago, before he was a Captain even. While he was naturally skilled in most things that required physical coordination and strength, he knew a great deal more now than he did back then, and it was a miracle he had survived with some of the sloppy, grandiose maneuvers he frequently made use of back then.

"He was the first that I made such a promise to. There have been many since, and as much I'd like to believe otherwise, there are many still to come. People look at me as 'Humanity's Strongest' and they see me some sort of promise that things will change. I don't know about that, but…"

He spoke quietly in admission, "I may be many things, but I _am_ a man of my word. As long as I have the strength to fight, I will; simple as that. That way, for those that have given their life for our cause, maybe…it wouldn't have all been in vain. Maybe their sacrifice will have actually _meant_ something. At least, that's what I hope."

Petra gave a soft smile as a warmness filled her after hearing the conviction he so clearly spoke with. A small moment passed as they sat in silence, and Petra spoke tenderly, "Wow. That's…really cool, Captain."

"What about you?" Levi found himself asking, almost suspiciously, and he shifted toward her even though he wouldn't be able to see her. It was his firm belief that only truly _fucked up_ people found their way into the Scout Regiment, and while he had never quite been able to pinpoint where, or how Petra had come to fit in their ranks, he knew without question that the twisted sort of something was nestled deep within her, because it _always_ was, without exception.

People did _not_ fight something as traumatizing, as bloodcurdling as the Titans without some kind of even _greater_ trauma that ran deep, into the very core of their being that fueled them past the point of reason and made them abandon their very instincts to survive. Levi had pondered for years what dark thing or twisted series of events had caused a good girl like Petra to seek out the Scouts, but the opportunity had never presented itself until now as there just wasn't a good way to ask that sort of thing.

"You have the beauty and the charm to settle down with a rich man and live a carefree life somewhere in Wall Sina. You have the talent and drive to work in any field you wanted, _if_ you even wanted to work in the first place, and yet…here _you_ are, on a squad of men and married to a man almost, what, seven, _eight_ years older than you?"

He just didn't understand it and it was puzzling to him.

"Why?" he asked simply.

As a lingering silence came over the room, Petra pressed her lips together, blushing at Levi's words. She doubted he even knew that he had given her such overwhelming praise in attempting to express his curiosity, and the fact he wasn't even trying to compliment her, as if he were just stating an obvious fact, only made his words that much more valuable to her as it spoke volumes regarding his _true _thoughts about her.

Even still…as she tried to find a way to answer his question in a way that was honest, she frowned, and an unwitting shiver went down her spine.

"I…"

Her words caught in her throat as dark memories began coming back to her, and she shook her head and cleared her throat firmly, finding she was now laying rigidly as her breathing increased and her skin broke out in a nervous sweat. It had been so long ago now, but as she thought about it, it was like she was right there, reliving it.

"I…"

Her voice trembled and there was a long sigh from the Captain, "…That bad, huh?"

She blinked once or twice, trying to ward the thoughts away as his voice brought her out of her mental stupor. As she tried to speak, her voice was a distant whisper and she fought to find the courage needed to speak past her trembling, "Sorry Captain, I don't…like to talk about it."

"Then don't."

A silence fell over the room.

No questions. No explanations.

Just a shared feeling of mutual understanding and acceptance between the Captain and his subordinate.

.

* * *

.

Levi carefully, gently closed the door behind him as he made his way out of her room, being careful to not make a sound as he lightly turned on his heel in preparation to move into his office. As he took a step forward, he placed his foot down and all but tripped over-

"Eld?" Levi asked in surprise, catching his footing before he actually stumbled forward – one hand still clenched on the doorknob as he looked down at his second in command who was sitting down on the floor, leaning back against the wall with his legs outstretched. He looked as though he had been sitting there for hours, and Levi's eyes narrowed.

Eld looked up and gave a nod, standing up to his feet and dusting himself off. Levi looked at him suspiciously, "Eld. How long have you been there?"

Eld merely shrugged, "You're headed to your office right? I'll walk with you."

Levi watched him critically, though when Eld said nothing and gave a tilt of his head to signal they should start moving, Levi exhaled through his nose tensely, "Suit yourself."

When they were a safe distance away from the door, Eld cleared his throat. "I've actually been looking for you for a while now. I started in your office, then visited Erwin and Hanji's offices but they weren't there either, I checked the training grounds, looked in your room – I had no idea where you might have stormed off to, and after a while I had to call it quits because as much as I was hoping to run into you, I needed to make sure Petra was okay and had to give up my search."

Eld paused and gave a shrug, "I will say, I would never have expected to find _you_ there, but I suppose it all works out in the end because I got to hear some… _fascinating_ things."

"How long-"

"Was I there." Eld finished his sentence flatly, speaking over Levi with a roll of his eyes, "Always down to business with you."

As Levi continued to stare at him in irritation, Eld looked at the hallway ahead of them and nodded, "I was there for a long while, Levi. Imagine my surprise upon almost knocking on the door to console Petra and hearing _your_ voice, apologizing to Petra on your own accord and attempting to console her yourself."

Levi remained quiet, though his head shot toward Eld as the blonde continued with a nervous sort of chuckle, "Imagine my _greater_ surprise to hear how Petra responded to your rather intriguing, perhaps even underhanded methods of _persuasion_. Gotta say that was…_also_ an attention grabber."

At the large eyes and concerned, albeit surprised look, Levi knew full well what Eld was in reference towards and the Captain practically groaned.

"You _heard_ that? Wait, you were listening to _that_?" Levi pressed, not sure if he was more surprised that Eld had actually been on the other side of the door at _all_, or if he was more surprised that Eld had heard what was happening _physically_ between them and _still _chose to stay.

Levi's blue eyes narrowed considerably.

"You're fucking _sick_, you voyeuristic, creepy bastard. If I had known you were eavesdropping, I would have beat the_ shit_ out of you. Better yet, I would have let _Petra _beat the shit out of you. That's fucked up." Levi decided flatly, his nose crinkled in disgust, and Eld laughed.

"Calm down, lover boy. I only stayed because I care for Petra, _and_ you, and you said it yourself - she was vulnerable and not herself and it wouldn't have been right for either of you. I know how hard it would have been for me to deny Emily back in the day if I had been in a similar situation, and I wanted to stick around to make sure that no lines were crossed. That's _all_."

A silence fell over them, and Levi still watched Eld critically as though not satisfied by his answer.

The taller male's expression changed into something more serious, and he frowned, "I was looking for you earlier because I was intending to chew you out even more. I stand by everything I said this afternoon, and after seeing how you snapped and intentionally took your anger out on Petra specifically, it made me furious. I was going to find you, and tell you that you weren't _ready_ to be with her, that you were-"

Eld paused midsentence and shook his head as he tried to pick his words; seeming to mentally change gears, "Say Levi - how long's it been now? Three, almost four months right? When Petra told me that you were getting married, I told her flat out that you could _never_ make her happy and that I wouldn't support the marriage because of it. After watching how you treated her this afternoon, I was _certain_ that she had made the biggest mistake of her life but…"

Levi looked up toward him with a raised eyebrow and Eld gave a long-suffering sigh of defeat, "But then I heard you in the room with her, when you thought it was just the two of you." Eld looked back at Levi and watched him with a critical, surprised stare of his own, "You're…_different_ with her, when you're alone like that. You're patient, you listen, you were sincere and…and I am starting to think that I was wrong. You've got a number of rough edges Levi, but you're a good man. I've always believed that."

Levi's gaze fell to the ground and he shook his head, "Well you're a fool, because I'm not a 'good man' - I'm just not a monster."

"Deny whatever you want but your actions don't lie. You didn't_ have_ to apologize, you _didn't _have to stay with her, you _could_ have taken advantage of the situation – granted I would have stepped in, but you didn't know that at the time. All I'm saying is, I think you are making her happy already, even if you are both too blind to see it, and…_I'm happy for you_."

"How touching. Is that all?" Levi replied in a monotone, still defensive fashion as they reached his office. He opened the door and stepped inside quietly before taking a seat in his chair, looking over to Eld who was leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed.

"No. I also wanted to apologize for_ how_ I confronted you today."

Levi crossed his arms as well and leaned back into his chair, a sort of brooding expression over his face as Eld continued, "I still think I was right to call you out, but I can see that the manner I utilized was harmful and did more damage than anything else. Some of the blame for what happens today falls on my shoulders. Granted, I've got to admit I'm happy with this outcome because you and Petra made up and I think that will help the squad immensely going forward – but I know full well that _I_ can't take credit for that. In the future, any concerns I have with you will be addressed one on one in a private, controlled setting."

Levi nodded pensively as a sort of silence blanketed the room, "I would appreciate that."

Eld watched Levi with resolve, his voice firm and reflecting how serious he was, "I know things got heated today, so I feel that it's a good time to say this. I'm _happy_ to be on this squad and even if you're not perfect, we all know that you lead this team to the best of your ability, and honestly, you do a damn good job. You have my respect…_Captain_."

Hearing the use of his title, Levi blinked and watched Eld with wide eyes, relieved to hear such a thing from him after a point had been made earlier that he no longer _deserved _his title. The title itself he couldn't care less about, but the relationships he had built, the respect he had given and received over the years – _that_ mattered, and he was fearful that he had done permanent damage in his previous lapse of control.

Eld gave a smile and pushed himself off the doorframe, "I'll make sure Gunther and Oluo are on the same page tomorrow, so don't worry about them. We should get right back to the grind and keep adjusting the Omega formation, business as usual, you know? Petra's not the only one who had a long day, we_ all_ did, yourself included, so try not to stay up too late because even Humanity's Strongest needs to recoup after a day like today."

With that, Eld gave a wave and turned out toward the hallway, disappearing from view as he moved out of the room. Levi stood up from his chair, prepared to walk after Eld if he had to, "Eld, wait."

The blonde popped back into the door with a curious expression and Levi took a breath of preparation as he chose his words intentionally, "…You know there's a reason I selected you as my second in command, right?"

Eld gave a small nod and smiled, "Yeah, I do."

Levi nodded and held his gaze firmly, "Good. I trust you, Eld, and I trust in your judgement. Don't let me down."

"Of course not. Goodnight, Captain."

As Eld's footsteps receded down the hallway, Levi slowly sank back in his chair and allowed himself to release a pent-up exhale as he thought about the past few weeks and everything that had led up to today.

He had seen it in_ Petra_ for weeks now, and unbeknownst to him, the rest of his squad had _also_ been carrying on in a time where he was absent and out of sorts; all of them completing their tasks without complaint or judgement regardless the lapse of strong leadership. It was good to know that even in the event that he completely messed up and fell flat on his face, his squad had every ability to carry on just the same; place themselves under his authority with a resolve and professionalism that he himself lacked at times.

It made him proud, of_ all _of them.

And he would make sure to thank them for it, tomorrow.

.

* * *

.

"So you're saying we should just pretend that yesterday_ didn't_ happen?"

"No, I'm just saying that it would be best for the entire squad if we didn't dwell on the past, forgive and forget, and move on."

Levi was walking toward the main room, dressed and prepared for their upcoming day of training, but as he started to hear traces of his squad's present conversation, he found himself stalling at the edge of the hallway instead of making his presence known by actually walking into the room.

Eld had told him last night that he intended to address Gunther and Oluo directly, and Levi suspected that that was what he was presently hearing, only mid conversation. It wasn't that he was unable to speak for himself and wanting to avoid taking ownership for his poor decisions yesterday, but there was benefit to be able to hear his squad's true thoughts about him and he decided against interrupting them for the time being.

So he waited.

"I don't care what he said to us, what I care about is how Petra feels." Gunther's voice chimed in, and Levi held back a sigh as he leaned against the hallway wall patiently.

"Gunther, I _told_ you, Levi talked to me specifically yesterday. He apologized and I really think he meant it. I agree with Eld, holding onto anger won't do anyone a bit of good. I think we should just go about our day like normal. We're all professionals and have a job to see to, so let's_ see _to it like adults and move on."

"Besides," Eld joined in, "If you or Oluo are still that upset about it, then you need to resolve it with Levi on your _own_ time. There's no need to make this thing draw out any longer, as the pettiness of one does not justify hours of wasted time with complaints or insubordination. I _also_ ran into him yesterday, and like Petra said, he wasn't exactly proud. I think he's learned his lesson, so let's leave it at that."

"That may be well and all, I mean, if Petra says its fine, then it's fine," Oluo's voice was heard next, "But what if Levi _himself _is still out of sorts and is afraid that we won't listen to him? You were already gone at the time Petra, but we kind of took a stand and I could see where Levi might be hesitant around us. Are we supposed to like…I don't know, make him a card or something?"

There were a few groans, and there was some sort of shuffling heard.

Petra's voice came next, and Levi gave a half smile at her words, "I've already thought of that. Eld told me everything this morning, so I made the coffee extra, extra dark – the way the _Captain_ prefers it. I know it's just a small gesture, but I've already poured him a cup and set it aside; I think he'll appreciate the thought. When he comes in, which honestly should be _any_ time now, we can just all relax and hang out for a bit, not pressure him and just…you know, take it easy. He may not know what to say, but I think that if he comes in and sees that we are treating this day like any other day, he'll unwind a bit and come to terms with the fact that…we're all cool."

Oluo's voice came once again, and it was more of a gentler tone that was hard for Levi to hear, "So Petra, for real, you and the Captain are fine?"

There was a pause, and even Levi himself was curious as to what her answer would be.

"Yeah, we're cool."

There was a warmness to her tone that made him feel relieved. He would like to think that he had left her room under good terms yesterday, but he knew full well that even _with_ an apology, even though she herself said that she felt he was sincere, that didn't erase the past or the pain that came with it and he would have understood full well if she wanted to hang onto her bitterness and anger, at least for a while longer yet. He supposed he was lucky that Petra was so forgiving, because had it been the other way around, he wasn't sure he would be as accepting or gracious.

A silence came over the area, the conversation apparently at an end, but to make sure his entrance wasn't too convenient, he waited a few more minutes before standing up off the wall and walking into the room casually, as though he had no idea of the conversation that had taken place previously. If Petra and Eld had somewhat tag teamed to make sure the morning ran as smoothly as possible, he would play along because honestly, just getting back to normal sounded ideal.

As he walked into the room, it was Petra who noticed him first, and she gave him a bright smile, "Good morning Cap- oh, um, that is… Hi, Captain!"

He made a face of amusement at her even _worse_ greeting – it seemed she remembered his complaint about her irritatingly perfect 'Good Morning Captain' and attempted to greet him differently at the last minute, but the way it came out was almost more cringey, and even Petra herself made a sort of confused, soured sort of expression after hearing how strange it sounded.

"Good morning, Petra." He responded evenly, nodding toward her, then toward Eld who merely gave a quiet wave.

He made his way toward the end of the table, and Petra cleared her throat as he passed her, "I, uh, made the coffee on the darker side today. You know, because a lot of us were up late last night so I thought it might…perk the squad up a bit. We've all been out here for a bit and I didn't want the squad to drink all of it without you getting a fair shot at it, so I…poured you a cup."

"You never pour _me_ a cup of coffee..." Oluo whispered bitterly, and Petra shot him a venomous stare, "Shush!"

Levi bit back a laugh, inwardly amused considering he knew the _real_ reason that had fueled her to make the coffee with his tastes in mind, as well as why she had gone out of her way to pour him his own coffee like she had.

He gave no discernable reaction, only giving a single nod as he sat down in his seat, "Okay, thanks."

They began talking about other squads who were impacted by the gas shortage, discussing other teams who would have to undergo cross training today and how they weren't envious of their fates as no one tended to enjoy cross training – and as they conversed lightly amongst themselves, Levi had to admit, if he hadn't known they were intentionally making a point of being casual, he may have actually fallen for it and believed they were completely over the events that had taken place yesterday.

"Hey Captain," Gunther turned his attention toward him, "Just to be clear, we_ are_ able to use the 3DM gear today right? It's just _Thursdays_ that we have to cross train?"

Levi grabbed his coffee cup and nodded, "Yeah, that's what I understand. Granted, if the gas shortage isn't fixed quickly, I wouldn't be surprised if each squad was assigned an additional day of cross training here in the near future, but for the time being, it's just the one day per squad."

Gunther nodded, and fell silent again.

Petra and Eld began exchanging their theories about ways the military could ration out the remaining gas stores more effectively, and Levi exhaled. He wasn't sure how long the gas shortage and forced rationing would be in effect, but he could only hope that things returned to normal quickly, because he had been so certain they were close to a break through regarding the Omega formation, and taking a full day off every week put a significant stopper to his plans.

Levi brought the coffee cup to his lips, taking a swallow of the liquid and –

The moment he took a drink of his coffee, he _instantly_ gagged and his tongue puckered at the overwhelming, thick and grainy, _bitter_ – He found himself dramatically spitting out the liquid to such an extent that it actually sprayed out in front of him and he set the porcelain down, violently coughing out the semi-liquid, semi _coffee ground_ laced slop as his gag reflex continued to make him reject the vile liquid he had brought into his mouth a moment ago.

All at once, the room was roaring with rigorous, raucous laughter, and Levi realized that he had successfully been _pranked_, though there was little he could do about it as he continued to suffer through the effects of whatever the fuck it was they had done to his coffee.

As he coughed, a mix of coffee grounds and liquid ran down his mouth, and he scraped his tongue over the edge of his teeth between a combination of coughs and attempts of clearing his throat, still trying to get that, fuck what _was _that, out of his mouth. He _could_ taste coffee, but it was like there had been an even ratio of liquid, to coffee grounds, to something _else_ that left a lingering, burning aftertaste that made his eyes water miserably.

_Fuck_, what-

He looked at the table and realized that their saltshaker was practically empty, and his eyes narrowed, though he could only give a few more firm coughs from the overwhelmingly bitter, _salty_, coffee-ground filled abomination that continued to make his eyes burn and tear up.

"I can't believe it actually worked!" Eld all but cried as he laughed loudly, and Petra was laughing so hard she had tears running out of her eyes.

"The look on his face though, holy shit! How much salt did you_ put_ in that thing Petra?"

"All of it?" she replied in a high-pitched wail that was marred from her rigorous laughter, and the squad only laughed all the more.

Taking mercy on him as Levi blinked and made a gasping face, Eld slid a water bottle across the table, which the Captain wasted no time in utilizing. He stood up from the table and pulled water into his mouth greedily, swishing the liquid around in his mouth before moving toward the sink to spit it out. He cleared his throat firmly a few more times before finally drinking the entire bottle of water to clear the salty and bitter taste out of his mouth.

Though the squad tried to sober their reactions as Levi came back into the room wearing a sort of stupefied, surprised expression across his face, only able to look at them with wide, questioning and flustered eyes, Oluo snorted, "Hey, uh Captain, you've got a little _something_ on your chin."

Again his squad burst into laughter, and Levi groaned as he realized there were a number of coffee grounds still over his face. Admittedly embarrassed, he ran his hand over his mouth to wipe the rest of the coffee grounds away, and Petra looked up toward him proudly, speaking between fits of giggles as she watched him, "Made it…just the way you like it Captain, right?"

"Serves you right for eavesdropping!" Eld taunted proudly with a shake of his head, then nodded toward Oluo and Gunther, "Nice acting by the way; you all sounded so sincere, worried for Petra and everything. I still can't believe it _worked_!"

At Eld's compliment, Gunther and Eld smiled smugly by way of response and at that moment, every member of Levi's squad was watching him with a pleased, challenging expression. As they watched him victoriously for a response, their laughter came to an instant halt and their faces fell simultaneously as they watched him.

They knew from the start that it was a risky move pulling a prank on Levi, who was so touchy about everything-

So when the Captain began_ laughing_, a real laugh, they were taken aback.

"Fuck…" Levi stated lowly as a building laugh began to make his shoulders tremble, and his laughter only_ continued_ to strengthen the more he thought about it.

That whole conversation had been _staged_? They knew him _that _well, that they had him pegged down to a science and knew he wouldn't fuss about _Petra_ preparing his coffee for him, knew he wouldn't question them considering their previous 'conversation' and in turn, had actually _used_ their fight as an avenue to pull a fast one on him. He was laughing all the more, to the extent that his stomach was aching because he didn't even _know_ the last time he had laughed this hard.

"Fuck!" he repeated again and shook his head, looking up toward his squad and smiling in a sort of amazement as he laughed just the same, "Fuck every last oneof you!"

He crossed his arms as his laughter slowly died down, and he gave a sobering cough as he cleared his throat, though the awkward smile remained on his face as he nodded toward his team, "Well if you all had enough time to prepare something like that, then it's safe to say you're all awake and ready to work. Let's get moving to the supply hall and make up for lost time."

"But for the record." Levi spoke up as his squad began moving toward the door, each pausing in place and looking at him curiously with warm smiles, "That was_ still_ better than Gunther's coffee."

The squad laughed at his words, and insults were exchanged between them as they all walked toward the door. It was as they were leaving, each walking out one by one and laughing, already making bets about who would be the fastest or how many times they would rerun the Omega formation that Petra turned around and looked back at him.

Levi quirked an eyebrow as she somewhat stalled in her steps, and it was then that she shot him a single wink, as though to say 'Well what d'you know' before turning back toward the squad and adding in her own thoughts about how the day might go. As he quietly followed after them, he gave an amused chuckle, shaking his head in wonder as he realized that Erwin had been right all along.

He wouldn't have actually believed him because he saw their faces yesterday, their anger and defiance, but truly…

His squad really was…quite special.

...

* * *

End of Chapter

* * *

...

BBAAHAHHAHAHAHAHA.

*wipes a tear* Okay, so I really hope yall at least got some laughs out of that, because I die laughing just about every time I read it! Obviously there is a lot going on here, but for the most part, this chapter wraps up the end of the 'Fallout' Arc. Lot of important stuff in here – I especially love Levi's mental callout of wondering where/how Petra ended up in the Scouts because plain and simple, to join the Scouts specifically and deny one's own survival instincts means that something traumatic must have happened in their life that trumps those baser rules, and he knows Petra is no exception.

Alright yall, that wraps up this week! See you next Sunday!


	27. The One with the Ink

Morning everybody.

So yeah, last week wasn't the first time that the site was glitchy with reviews (they literally didn't load on the site for over 24 hours!) – so thanks for hanging in there and still being diligent in letting me know yall are alive and well and not ready to outright tar and feather me. I'm sincerely glad that the section was resolved in a way that, perhaps you weren't expecting, but can look back and see that it does make sense for squad Levi that's been living their day to day for over five years now.

Today is a big day as always because its RED ON RED for mah boys, we are presently undefeated, and tonight we take down those squirrely Colts! (Great apologies for those who have no care for football. Football is my life, Mahomes is a beast, and tis the season. Literally.)

For all those excited for the new arc, I won't keep you. Enjoy your read!

...

* * *

...

"And then this one too. I think that's the last one." Levi stated as he grabbed the last paper out of his To-Do folder, setting it on top of another paper. The surface of his desk had run out of open space some time ago, and he eventually had to resort to stacking the papers in an offset manner instead so they could all be displayed.

He looked at Petra, who was surveying the expanse of overdue papers with wide eyes, but after feeling his stare, looked up toward him with an unamused expression, "Oh_ that's _the last one? You sure there isn't another folder wedged somewhere up your ass with stacks of papers that were due _years _ago?" She frowned as she continued, "It's a wonder Erwin puts up with you – did you even turn in a_ single_ form during these past three weeks?"

Levi merely gave a shrug, because he _may_ have - he specifically remembered sitting down at his desk with all his papers and attempting to fill them out as required – but whether he actually completed any and then made the conscious effort to actually turn them in, that was a bit hazy as his thoughts had been admittedly unsorted as of late. He'd like to think he had at least done _one _form, surely one.

Petra smacked her lips together and stood up from her chair in determination, leaning over his desk and grabbing various papers in her hands, "Well, no time like the present. Let's organize them by what's past due, what still needs more data, and what can be put off for a bit longer while we try to get you caught back up."

There was a strange expression across the Captain's face and instead of moving to help her, he merely watched her with that odd expression as she grabbed more papers, critically scanning over each one before sorting it into one pile and moving on to the next, seemingly able to recognize almost every form and its necessary components with a single passing glance.

She truly had become so efficient, and that was after the almost month-long hiatus.

Petra blinked as she realized that he had been staring at her for some time, neglecting to actually help her in the slightest. "…What?"

His voice was flat, but there was a hint of amusement that pulled at the corner of his lips, "Petra, are you telling me how to organize_ my_ papers?"

She quirked an eyebrow in challenge and crossed her arms as she stared down at him from his seated position, "Is that a problem?"

He smirked at her no-nonsense response and gave a haughty, testing shrug, "Well. I thought _I_ was the Captain."

She snorted and grabbed another page while eyeing him reproachfully, "Yeah? So did I, yet here we are, having to bail you out again. Are you going to help, _Captain_, or is this just somehow my job now?""

Ignoring her question, Levi leaned back into his chair and cocked his head slightly, "Tell me. This morning, who came up with that?"

Her mouth twitched at his question, a ghost of a smile, and Petra continued sorting through the documents carefully, "The coffee thing?"

"Yeah."

"Mostly Eld. He figured we all just kinda needed a good laugh to break the tension, but I pointed out that you'd never trust someone proactively pouring you a drink just because - even _I_ would find that suspicious - so we waited until we could hear you coming down the hall and you know the rest." Petra paused and looked toward him with a gentle smile, pausing from her sorting as she watched him warmly, "You know Levi, I've never heard you laugh like that before. It's a real shame - you have a nice laugh."

She made a face then, her smile turning into a sort of smirk as she looked back to the papers and gave a chuckle, "Nothing like Eld. He laughs like a goat."

Levi snorted at this, though said nothing and Petra gave a long sigh, "I'm glad you were a good sport about it, I wasn't sure if you'd get mad or not."

He shook his head and gave her a dark look, "Oh I don't get mad Petra, I get _even_. Your day is coming."

She set another paper down and rolled her eyes, "Words, Captain. But I'll be sure to remember that when _I'm_ making the coffee each morning."

She gave another loud sigh and moved around his desk, holding his empty To-Do folder in one hand and a stack of organized papers in the other. "Okay, we'll just need to set these aside for the time being…they are technically due tomorrow, but we should be able to get them filled out this weekend and turned in first thing Monday morning, which isn't that bad. I doubt anyone will be coming after you first thing at the start of the week."

She opened the drawer to his left and put the To-Do folder away, standing up more fully as she closed the drawer.

"Captain, you_ did_ make sure to track our performance metrics over these past few weeks, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well the chart's not filled out and we need those numbers to get started." She stated with a tense, sigh of accusation, irritated that even the most basic of tasks had yet to be done. She walked behind him, moving toward the other end of his desk and pulling a drawer open as she kneeled down to the ground and moved various folders around intentionally, "Let's see…ah, here's that report. Get to it, Levi. At the absolute _least_ you should have already done this, or at least told me if you wanted my help. Weird vibes or not, I don't want to see you falling behind as there's just no reason for it."

"Well I would have done it last night," Levi replied easily as Petra placed the folder in front of him, handing him a pen before bustling back around the room, continuing to categorize his papers to her liking, "But I was held up."

Petra stopped from her task and gave a small smile, nodding her head in memory. He actually _hadn't_ been referring to her, rather referring to the unexpected conversation with Eld, but he supposed there was truth to her assumption, and he didn't correct her.

"Actually Captain," she stood up and somewhat sat on the edge of his desk, "That's something I wanted to talk to you about."

He pulled the cap off the pen and set it aside, inwardly noting that their interactions had been incredibly limited as of late, so logic dictated that it was likely she was wanting to talk -

"About last night, I-" she set the papers in her hand down by her side and looked at him with a regretful stare, "I know you said not to worry about it but I really feel that maybe…maybe I came off a little, uh, strong."

He couldn't help when his lip twitched, "A little?" He smirked and looked up toward her with a quirked eyebrow, "No thanks to that, I'm pretty sure I know your damn _bra size_ now."

She rolled her eyes dramatically and gave an embarrassed cough, trying to laugh it off as she blushed and looked into the papers beside her, "Yeah right - I _highly_ doubt that Levi."

He looked at her flatly as she laughed at him, feeling her words were an outright challenge of sorts, and his eyes narrowed in thought as he looked at her.

Petra noticed his suddenly pensive, deductive gaze that slowly lingered down her body and she gave a yelp, crossing her arms over her chest and all but shrieking, "_Captain_! What are you - _stop_!"

He clicked his tongue in distaste from her sudden chiding, filling in some of the numbers as he mumbled, "Yeah, that's not what you said last night."

She gave an empty laugh and relaxed her hands into her lap, "Ha ha Levi. But in all seriousness, what I wanted to say was that...I'm happy that things are, you know, _normal_ again. For the most part. I know that yesterday I was…well…"

"Hurt." Levi supplemented at her elongated pause as he scribbled a few notes down, and Petra gave an embarrassed nod, grateful that aside from his perhaps warranted clap backs, he wasn't trying to shame her for her lapse of manners.

"It's just…" She looked at him seriously as he continued diligently filling out the form, and she put her hand over the page he was working on so she could grab his full attention. He paused from writing and looked up toward her in question, his eyes catching the light and glowing a pale blue, and her resolve wavered.

For a moment she merely stared at him, wondering if she even wanted to keep talking at all. There was a part of her that wanted to draw a line – that wanted to set the record straight and recreate some of those rules that maybe would have helped them out before. If they had had a conversation like this weeks ago, maybe it would have prevented things from getting so broken and distant in the first place and she wanted to do her part to ensure that their friendship remained intact.

For as much as she enjoyed his touch, the spark and the magnetic pull between them, the way she felt in his arms and the surprising _passion_ behind his kiss that made her mind blank and the air rush out of her lungs…she enjoyed just _being_ with him even more, and she didn't want to lose that again.

She gave him an empty, brave smile, "I don't want you to get the wrong idea about me, or maybe get the wrong idea about what I'm expecting from you either. I like _this_. I like being able to talk to you, getting work done, just being comfortable and not having to push the envelope or try to see what's there or not there, you know? I just…this is _comfortable_ and I don't want that messed up by…getting involved."

She bit the inside of her lip as he merely stared at her, his expression not betraying his thoughts one way or another. She drummed her fingers against the desk nervously, wishing that she knew how to read him just a little bit better. The fact he could so perfectly mask his emotions made it difficult for her to understand him.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is that maybe we should be _careful _about getting too close or physical because it just invites all sorts of misunderstandings. Maybe if we set some ground rules so the both of us know what to expect, it might make this a little easier? You know, no like…kissing or…just…you know, taking things down a few notches."

She trailed off and gave him a pleading look. It was hard to say what was taboo or not, because of the fact that the lines were so blurred at this point, even when she was_ trying _to draw a line, she had no idea where to put it. She groaned as she somewhat gave up, swallowing thickly and looking toward Levi with concerned, questioning eyes, "Maybe, uh…Well - what are your thoughts on the matter?"

"I agree." He stated simply, looking back down into the paper he had been working on and tapping her hand so she moved her fingers off the page. He said nothing more, merely continued writing just the same and a comfortable silence fell over the room as he focused on the task at hand.

Petra blinked at how easily that had wrapped up and gave a few nods as she tried to bring the matter to a close in her mind as well, "Oh…well, good. Alright. I'm glad we're in agreement then."

Levi gave another nod, and Petra scooched herself off the edge of his desk, moving back around the room and falling back into a groove of focused work. It was once she was clearly focused in her tasks that he paused for a moment and stole a glance toward her, mentally reviewing her words.

…He did_ not_ agree.

It wasn't that he wanted to get 'involved', it wasn't that he was wanting to push things any further just for the mere sake of pushing them, but the last time _he_ had attempted to manipulate and cage the chemistry that was so obviously between them (as much as he wanted to deny it, what was the point anymore) it hadn't ended well, and he wasn't all that certain that Petra would have much better luck in her attempts to temper the flames.

None the less, he wouldn't force her hand or make her uncomfortable because it's what she wanted, so there was nothing to do but agree, respect her wishes, and let the chips fall where they may.

.

* * *

.

A month passed by, uneventfully.

Petra remained faithfully at Levi's side without incident. Rumors still flew around, but due to Petra's strong showing at the Officer's Banquet and word subsequently trickling down about what had happened, the rumors had since shifted in nature. Some now claimed that the Captain had been madly in love with Petra for years, but it had taken him all this time to actually win her affections (because not even Humanity's Strongest had a shot with a woman as _elite_ as her). Others claimed that Erwin had arranged the marriage intentionally to better control Levi – a political marriage of sorts to keep the Scouts in favor with the government, and Petra was the selfless, sacrificial lamb that chose to bite the bullet for the betterment of the faction.

In most recent versions, Petra was made out to be a sort of hero, and at this the point it was very rare that Petra Ackerman's name was whispered with anything but sheer respect and wonder. To those outside looking in, _whatever_ version of the story they favored, it was obvious that the ginger and Captain were close, yet even still no one could quite figure out what to make of the couple; if they were even a couple at all.

Some days it _seemed_ like they were, that they were both well aware of their chemistry and had no intention of distancing themselves from the other or trying to play it off, but other days it seemed like the Captain was just a well-organized sort of boss with an extremely competent secretary that shadowed behind him dutifully; more of a professionalism displayed in their roles than an actual romance.

Either way, it was rare they weren't found together, often seen walking together or completing their business as a team. Whereas Levi was dominant – an explosive fire that threatened to incinerate those that stood in his way - Petra was adaptive and tenacious, like the pounding waters of a rushing river. _She_ was creative and able to partner with anyone; _he _was intimidating and strong, protective of what he cherished and fiercely decisive in his course of action. If Levi's forceful nature couldn't crack someone, Petra's natural charm could wear them away, like a rough stone rubbed smooth by the water's persistent waves.

Regardless their opinions, no one in the Scout Regiment could deny they were quite the power couple, and while there were still a few dirty and jealous looks they received from time to time, on the whole, the Regiment had seemingly come to terms with the fact that Humanity's Strongest was a married man, and that yes, his attractive wifewas _also_ his direct subordinate.

Though at the time Levi had somewhat doubted Petra's words in his office to him that night, believing even now that they were only delaying the inevitable and getting by on borrowed time, he wasn't too proud to admit that the past month of intentionally not progressing forward and allowing things to settle between them had been…needed.

He found there was comfort in knowing that they were _both_ aware of that growing sort of something between them, yet were disciplined enough to not charge headfirst into things just_ because_ there was chemistry there. Perhaps there were days that he longed to pull her close, to whisper some ridiculous shit in her ear for the mere sake of watching her blush, hungry to feel her close against him and feel her pulse quicken in her veins because of his touch, but considering Petra had requested he _not_ do those things - unexpectedly, he found that he had gained a new appreciation for their mundane day to day exchanges that were seemingly small, yet amounted to something bigger and important, foundational in nature and more stable than heated touches or wandering eyes.

He found she was good company that could _still_ take him by surprise, even after all this time. She enjoyed conversing with him about anything and everything, and while at first he had been hesitant to speak his mind around her due to the…not exactly _common_ way he viewed the world around him, he was pleasantly surprised when she wasn't off put by his mannerisms and didn't judge him for being fundamentally _different_ than her.

She was detail oriented; more so than he had ever noticed in the years prior, considering a new skillset of hers was growing stronger with each passing day that she spent delving into his role. It was often as they sorted through the various documents together, that he felt he was assisting _her_, more than the other way around. She knew all the trends, knew from memory who performed the best, what strengths each member of the squad held – as well as the corresponding data that backed it up. She was quick to point out inconsistencies or outliers that needed to be addressed, and Levi found he tailored a majority of the squad's training exercises around the data she had been providing him more and more as of late.

At one point she had expressed sincere frustration about the gas shortage, and as she spoke, Levi realized for the first time that her words were not coming from the position of a _Scout_, who would traditionally complain about having to cross train or that they'd rather be doing some other task than be assigned an obvious filler workout – no, her words were that of an _Officer_.

She had looked at the numbers and related that the squad's drop in efficiency was a direct result of the forced cross training – that the data was proving they were less effective due to their inconsistent training regimen and that if she had the time, she would love to sit down and build a case for Erwin to prove that something needed to be done and _fast_, because the gas shortage would, quite literally, be the death of them. If _their_ squad was suffering, it was highly likely that the other squads were as well and if they didn't find a way to sharpen their skills soon, the next expedition would be a blood bath.

Levi had stared at her for a long moment then, feeling a mix of surprise, pride, and perhaps a bit of nostalgia – as the Petra with knit eyebrows, a scowl on her lips, and a fire in her eyes, was very different from the bright eyed, happy go lucky girl that he had introduced onto his squad five years ago.

It was a sobering contrast, and it was only when she had caught his conflicted stare and gave him a concerned look, that he shook his head and explained that she wasn't the first one to notice the difference in numbers and Four Eyes was already on it. None the less, he had brought the conversation up with Erwin a few days later, who merely smiled and nodded, because apparently he had seen the changes in his subordinate as well, but shrugged it off in the moment because, 'All in good time, Levi.'

At the start of the following week, Erwin had informed him that a meeting had been placed for higher ups through the various military factions to discuss the future of how the gas shortage was to be handled. He stressed that it was important that all their numbers were up to par and that they had a strong case to represent the Scout Regiment, and he was to utilize Petra in preparing a through report for the upcoming meeting.

So, he had done just that.

He hadn't actually ordered her, because he knew he wouldn't need to. He explained the upcoming meeting to her, the fact that he would be gone a few days to travel to the inner walls with Hanji, Mike, and Erwin, and that they would be using every trick up their sleeve to try and get a favorable outcome for the Scout Regiment specifically. He explained that even though it wasn't fair, he wanted her to clean up after their training and come straight to his office and help prepare a proper deck for the upcoming collaboration. He didn't even have to _get_ through his full explanation before she had agreed full heartedly, anxious to play a part in the meeting even if she herself wasn't invited to attend.

That same day, she came to his office with still wet hair, and they began sorting through the numbers and tossing ideas back and forth in terms of what might either impress or_ scare_ the government enough to make a judgement call in their favor. Erwin's end goal was to prove that the Scout's should be excluded completely from the gas rationing decree altogether, and he believed the proof was in the data. Each day Petra and Levi would organize months of statistics, supply receipts - anything Petra deemed worthy enough to review - and work to create reports that diagramed the full effect the gas shortage would have over a length of time. Come dinner, it was actually Levi who would run out and get dinner for both of them, considering that at this point Petra was vastly more efficient than he could ever hope to be. They'd eat dinner between discussions of reports, what Erwin thought of their completed work thus far, what angles they still needed to cover, until they bottomed out late into the night.

More than once Petra had collapsed at his desk from sheer exhaustion, and though she would always wake up when he lifted her up into his arms, she would merely wrap her arms around his neck and rest her head against his shoulder, allowing him to carry her back to her room and often falling back asleep in the mere minute it took to get there. He never lingered as she shuffled into her bed and fell asleep for the night; he couldn't. They_ both_ had active duty to report to in the morning and needed to recuperate so they could get through another long and arduous day.

It had been almost a solid week of the grueling sunup to sundown demands, and as much as Levi wanted felt he should enjoy the fact that his entire day was now spent with her, the meeting was fast approaching and neither had the time to dwell on such trivial matters.

Tonight was it – this was their last chance to finalize the numbers – and while Petra seemed calm, Levi was admittedly flustered, because _he_ was the one getting grilled by Erwin each day. He knew full well how important this was to the Commander, and how important it was that their meeting go well.

As Petra had pointed out, there was a direct correlation between their ability to freely use gas without restrictions, and the performance of each Scout on an individual basis. While in a training setting, it was just an unfortunate dip in data, come the next expedition, it would be an 'unfortunate' dip in lives, and _that_ was not a laughing matter in the slightest. They were _determined_ to save the lives of their men, before the next expedition took place and ended in an unprecedented number of casualties.

"Got you the bread and soup." Levi stated as he walked in the door, carrying a tray with their meals on it and setting it on a chair and grabbing her plate, "Looked better than the damned meatloaf."

"It _is_ always dry." She remarked off handedly as she chewed on the end of her pen, her response more for politeness sake than an actual attempt at conversation.

Levi set her food beside her, then looked around, then back to the tray, then back to her food before scowling, "Aw, fuck. Damn it all…"

Petra blinked as she looked up toward him curiously, "What?"

Levi groaned and exhaled irritably, "Nothing, just forgot to grab a spoon. I'll grab one from the common room."

She waved a hand as he turned to leave, shaking her head and motioning him over toward her, "It's fine, I can drink it from the bowl just fine. Can you actually come look at this? I think it's ready."

"Sure." He walked over toward her and set one arm down over the surface of his desk, leaning down over her directly and reviewing the numbers she had written over the page. He scanned the page and spoke as he looked the data over critically, somewhat confused, "Now is this…current data?"

He couldn't be too sure, but something seemed a little…_off_.

"Oh, no – it's actually last year's data. Took a bit of digging, but I went through your filing cabinet and grabbed last year's reports."

Levi looked down at her, a sort of surprise in his eyes, and Petra gave a proud smile, always enjoying his reaction to when she thought of something outside the box. She gave a light shrug, "All that to say that after reviewing those numbers, I thought it was interesting that this _same_ time last year, our performance was consistently ranked higher across the board in almost every area. It's even _more_ interesting when you consider that last month, directly before the forced rationing mind you-" she flipped the page and pointed to the chart, "Our numbers were almost identical. So ignoring the irritating fact that we didn't seem to _improve_ much between this year and last, all it took was one month and even our Squad, debatably the best team in the entire _military,_ took an undeniable hit." She gave a soft smile and shrugged, "If our squad was impacted in a mere thirty days, and with our skill level, it isn't that far of a jump to assume that other squads are taking a hit as well. Numbers don't lie, Captain."

There was a pleased "Hm." That sounded from the Captain, and he looked toward her and gave a slight smile.

There was a light tapping on the already open office door, and both Levi and Petra looked toward the sound, seeing a nervous Oluo watching them with wide eyes. Looking at the pair, seeing how Levi was leaning down over Petra and she didn't seem to mind or even notice that he was _inches _from her face, he cleared his throat nervously.

"Uh Captain, Petra - I'm not…_interrupting_ anything, am I?"

Levi looked toward Oluo and stood up fully, rolling his eyes in irritation as he stood up from his desk, "Not in the way _you_ mean, but yes, you are." He lightly grabbed the pages out of Petra's hand and reviewed them further, nodding his head toward her, "Using last year's data to prove the resulting deficiencies aren't just a fluke…Erwin will like this a lot. Good work." He motioned toward Oluo with a nod of his head, but kept looking into the data Petra had organized, flipping between the two pages as he spoke, "What do you need?"

"Sorry, I know you guys are busy doing that meeting thing for Erwin, I wouldn't have bothered you, except…" he leaned over and pulled the riding boot off his right leg, giving a miserable sigh, "I need a new pair of boots."

He lifted the shoe up and Petra blinked at the odd sight that greeted her. It was his riding boot, technically, though the entire sole was just _gone. _Instead of the bottom, there was just a giant gaping _hole_ that left the leather loose and out of shape, limply resting in his hand with nothing to keep it supported or shaped.

"What the…how did that happen?" Petra asked with wide eyes, and Levi merely watched him with an irritated scowl.

"Well it's a funny story Petra," Oluo chuckled in preparation, and Levi shook his head, handing the papers back to Petra and fixing Oluo with an unamused stare.

"No. No funny stories, no shoes. There is no way that is not a _direct _result of your sheer dumbassery, and maybe walking around with one foot on the ground and one foot in your boot for a few days might teach you a lesson about taking care of your shit. Piss off, Oluo. I'll take care of it when I get back, and not a moment sooner."

Petra groaned and set the papers down, looking at Oluo then back to Levi in concern, "Captain, that's not funny. _You_ may be traveling tomorrow but _we _are using the 3DM gear and Oluo will need a proper pair of shoes!"

Levi snorted and moved around his desk, plopping down in his chair and shaking his head stubbornly, "Don't care."

She pressed her lips together, feeling that she needed to intervene on behalf of her teammate because the reality was, Levi was simply stressed out and in a bit of a bad mood. She didn't want Oluo to have to walk lop sided for almost two weeks when they could get the form filled out now before he left and he'd be fitted with a new pair of boots in a mere four or five days.

She gave a subtle nod toward Oluo as Levi began reviewing various papers, silently communicating that she would handle it, "Look, I'm sure it wasn't his fault, Captain. These sorts of things…" she looked at the shell of the boot and made a face, her voice strained, "Just…_happen _from time to time. You know it was just an accident, isn't that right Oluo?"

Her teammate nodded with gusto, "Yeah, for real. You see Eld made this bet that I couldn't-"

Levi's eyes narrowed and Petra gave a loud cough, cutting off her teammate sharply, "The how doesn't matter! How about I-" she paused mid-sentence as Levi adjusted himself in his chair, her voice quieter as she addressed him directly, because she didn't want him getting started on some other project just yet and she nodded toward him, "Oh hey, can you fill this out? It's a form that shows how much gas our team goes through each day of training, each month, each expedition, etc. I got it started but it would help if you can finish it up so I can keep comparing these more obscure numbers."

"Yeah, that's fine." Levi responded simply, and Oluo cleared his throat considering it was obvious that Petra had forgotten about him.

She gave an apologetic nod, "Oh yeah! Now Oluo's boot is also important Captain, I can get you the-"

"Shit. Where the fuck-" Levi mumbled as he began lifting papers off his desk, then opening his drawers in obvious attempts at finding some object, grumbling to himself as he kept looking around the area for whatever.

"What do you need?"

"My pen." Levi growled, and Petra sighed.

"Second drawer to your left."

"Oh. Thanks."

He opened the drawer and moved folders around, seeing the pen in question and closing the drawer with a snap as he looked back toward Petra, "Fuck, not _this_ one. The one with the ink!"

"Oh _that_ one?" Petra repeated, and Oluo merely blinked because 'the one with the ink' was perhaps the most _unspecific _way one could possibly describe a pen, and yet Petra seemed to know exactly what he was talking about somehow.

"You set it behind your ear last night, so if it's not on the desk, it probably got carried back to your room when you went to bed."

Levi groaned and pushed his chair back as he rose to his feet, "Fuck. Right. Fucking _fuck_."

Levi stormed out of the room, muttering a string of colorful words the whole way, and once a safe sort of silence came over the room, Oluo looked toward Petra for an explanation, admittedly feeling out of place amongst the chaos.

She gave a long sigh and sat back into her chair, shrugging as she gave him a half smile, knowing that it was a rather_ hectic_ environment to walk into at the moment. "Sorry Oluo. Erwin's been riding his ass hard these past few days in particular and he's pretty on edge. Not only is Erwin putting him under a lot of pressure to make sure that he can represent _this _team well, but Levi _himself_ feels pressured because the data proves that we need to use gas freely in order to be most successful, so even though it may seem like just a basic meeting to discuss supplies, to Erwin and Hanji and everyone, they know full well it's a matter of life and death, so they are all pretty anxious to have a good showing and get favorable results. _But _considering it's all a numbers game and Levi's more of a punch something until it breaks kinda guy, I think he feels a little…useless…and it's making him more unpleasant than usual."

Petra stood up and moved behind Levi's desk, disappearing as she crouched to the ground and began digging through various drawers, "Either way, I can fill out the form for you. Not trying to be mean, but you really are in the way here and you're just going to piss him off the longer you stand in the doorway like that. We'll just need his signature and then I can get this into the right hands tomorrow morning. As for the next few days, see if Gunther or Eld can lend you an old pair or something, but come the start of next week you should be all set."

Petra stood back up, sitting down in Levi's chair and grabbed her pen, quietly filling out the form while Oluo leaned against the doorframe and blinked in surprise, "Wait, you _know_ how to fill those out?"

Petra looked up from the paper with a proud smile, "This form? Yeah. Honestly you could probably figure it out yourself if it came down to it, most of its self-explanatory. You know, what are you requesting, reason for the request, when the item is needed – perhaps the only thing you wouldn't know is the Squad's ID number, request code, more of the backend stuff – but at this point I have those things memorized, so it's fine."

She wrote down a few things, speaking as she wrote, "What shoe size are you?"

"Twelves please."

She nodded and wrote it down, clearing her throat as she reviewed the paper, "Alright, requesting one pair of new size twelve riding boots for Oluo Bozado. That sound right?" She looked up from the page and smiled, "Simple as that. I'll have Captain sign it and consider it done."

At her confirmation, Oluo made an irritated face of realization, "Wait, _that _easy? Levi always makes it seem like it's such a big hassle; are you meaning to tell me it really has been this simple the whole time? That half-pint fuck!"

At his words, there was a firm slap to the back of his head that made Oluo stumble forward with a pained yelp, and from behind him, Levi made his way back into the room with a dark expression, "Half-pint fuck with_ two _functional boots. See who's laughing come tomorrow, Stumpy."

Petra bit back a smile and moved out of his chair so the Captain could sit down, "You find it?"

"Yeah."

"I'm glad. I need your signature here, please" Petra stated simply, and as Levi sat down and looked at what it was Petra was requesting he sign, he merely pressed his lips together and gave her a stubborn shake of his head.

"I said _no._ I'll sign it when I get back but until then he'll just have to suffer the consequences of his choices."

Petra gave a shrug of her own, "Oh? Well, suit yourself then, Captain. I'll have you know that Oluo here_ just_ told me that he won't leave until the request has been put in, so I guess it'll be all three of us working together for the rest of the night."

She walked around the desk and grabbed the extra chair in front of the Captain's desk, dragging it around until it sat beside her own chair. She patted the chair with a warm smile and looked toward her confused teammate, "Alright Oluo, you heard the Captain. He doesn't want to sign it, so I guess you're stuck here with us. Now about your boot, you said it was a funny story right? I'm sure Levi would love to hear it; I know I would. Captain's got a stick up his ass or something, so perhaps a bit of laughter would do him good. What_ I_ want to know is if Eld-"

From her side, there was a light tap on her arm from where Levi had nudged her, and she looked toward him, smiling as he handed her the now _signed_ piece of paper.

Levi rolled his eyes as she triumphantly grabbed the paper from him and shot Oluo a wink, "Troublesome woman."

He glared toward Oluo and motioned with his head, "_You_ get out of my office – just consider yourself lucky that Petra was here to take pity on you. Take better care of your shit because the next time I'm taking it out of your ass." He redirected his attention back to Petra, giving her a firm stare as she looked over the completed maintenance form with a smile, "And you. Get back to work. We've only got a few more hours and I don't want your brain to be wasted on simple ass forms like that. Have you started on your dinner? You need to eat."

She set the form down and shook her head, grabbing the bread and taking a small nibble obediently. She nodded toward the tray of food, "So do you, Captain. Quick question though, my soup is one thing, but how are you going to eat your salad without a fork?"

Levi looked at the tray and groaned in frustration, "Wha - fuck! Damn fucking…" he gave low grumble as he stood up from his chair yet again, "…I'll be right back."

He left the room again and as Petra silently ate her food, absentmindedly turning a few pages and jotting down who knows what on the paper in front of her, Oluo looked down the hall where Levi was_ still_ muttering curses to himself, then back at her with a pained smile. He would have never believed it, would have thought that of all people she would be miserable and practically walked over under the weight of Humanity's Strongest…and yet.

He swallowed thickly and spoke casually, although his throat felt suddenly tight.

"So…you and the Captain, huh?"

"Hm? Oh sorry Oluo, I was busy reading this. What's up?"

"Never mind. Thanks for your help Petra, I really owe ya one. I guess I'll…I'll see you in the morning."

...

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End of Chapter

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...

Okay, so I've got to admit this chapter isn't one I'm very happy with.

Not the chapter itself in terms of what happens with it because as someone stated, pretty much everything I write is intentional and not written for just the sake of more words on the page (thanks for your kind words, your review made my day!) but more of the actual formatting of what happens in one single chapter, because it's a bit…much.

You've got the _actual_ end of the fallout arc here, where Petra has indeed forgiven Levi, but there _are_ consequences to every action and after being coldly cast aside by Levi on two different occasions now, she is afraid of being burned and losing her friend now that she just got him back, so proactively decides to draw some boundaries even though she herself has no idea what she wants it to look like. I enjoy Levi's diplomatic response, his agreeing instantly even though he actually doesn't, simply because if she doesn't want him to pursue after her like that, then it doesn't _matter_ what he thinks, because consent _is_ a thing haha.

From there, the dialogue and exposition, which I love, confirming that a month of…well, _nothing_, went by, and Levi and Petra are better off for it, but of course, not completely nothing, because Petra is growing in her skillset and has even caught the interest of Erwin.

Then Oluo. Okay, that section alone is a big deal. It melts my heart every time. I know Oluo is often the butt of every joke in the fan fiction world, and he definitely is used for comic relief even in my own story, but I try to write him in a way that makes him more than just the joke. He (in the series) is extremely proud of his accomplishments, very adept in his kills (If I recall, Oluo has the highest solo kill record on the squad, save for Levi himself!) and we often see him hackling Eren for being a rookie – which is a fair callout because deadweight has no place on a squad like Levi's.

All these different sections are important aspects of the story, worthy of their own intentional moment in the spotlight – but I couldn't have three itty bitty chapters back to back, so instead they are all mashed up here in one adhoc sort of chapter here, which again, I'm not exactly a fan of and would almost rather /force/ the pacing – but honestly yall have been awesome, you keep up, you are pretty good about spotting foreshadowing and all that, so I think I can trust yall to be thrown so much at one time.

I'll stop ranting now. Happy Sunday, and thanks for being awesome!


	28. The One with Levi's musings

Alright yall – which one of you didn't wish my team the luck they so needed last week and caused their first loss? Ugghh. *dramatic wailing* Our undefeated record destroyed, while we were wearing red on red even! Maaaannnn. I'm still reeling about it and it was a week ago.

(Side note for my non-football readers, this lamenting will only last until after the super bowl. But until then, football is my life and yall may as well just buy yourselves a Mahomes jersey.)

As for the story, soooo confession, this chapter is actually ALL brand-new material that I wrote just this week, and made the last updates Saturday night. Needless to say, that's deadline pressure I haven't felt in a LONG time, considering I'm 20+ chapters ahead so never really need to scramble for Sunday content, and that really was a treat because wow. One week goes fast when you've got five thousand plus words to write and edit in a weeks time. It's just that after reviewing the current arc and those that follow it, I found areas here that really needed to be tweaked, and lo and behold, this _entire _chapter was born because…well, it really needed to be. Yall will be reading it and just be like, so wait…this _wasn't_ in here before? Hahaa, yeah. I'm not perfect, so that's why I really try to edit and catch these things before they go live because once it's posted, I can't really go back and say insert this event here!

Anyhow, I hope yall enjoy it, and as always, thanks for your support, your encouragement, and for being my awesome readers that make this journey such a treat :)

…

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...

It was extremely early – early to even the most disciplined of soldiers that were required to report for duty almost every sunrise – but today was not an ordinary day, so it couldn't be helped. Levi put on his boots, _hours_ before the sunrise and in the stillness of the very early morning, and he barely contained a large yawn that only served to remind him of how exhausted he still was.

He had stayed up late into the night with Petra, until they had prepared and organized as much as they could muster before their sheer exhaustion got the best of them, and not surprisingly, he had eventually carried Petra back to her room because she, as she tended to do from time to time, had fallen asleep at his desk again. Unlike any of the previous times he had carried her back to her room, where she would wake up and almost smile as he carried her so simply because they_ both_ knew she could walk just fine, last night she was apparently so tired that she didn't even _stir _when he picked her up into his arms.

It seemed that under the right circumstances, Petra was apparently a rather sound sleeper, which admittedly surprised him.

In the past, all it had taken was a few light taps on her bedroom door and she had always woken up without issue, sometimes waking even _before_ he knocked because apparently just his footsteps approaching from down the hall had been enough. On the whole, he would consider it safe to say that_ everyone_ on his squad was a relatively light sleeper – but with how Petra remained asleep as he wrapped his arms over her back and lifted her up so he could carry her, the changes in light as they moved out of his office, down the dark hall and into her room; the fact that setting her down on her bed and readjusting her body across the mattress, hell, even going as far as to take off her boots for her because it was that obvious she wouldn't be waking any time soon - he hadn't thought she would have been so exhausted.

Perhaps some part of him had felt wistful as he set a blanket out around her – the only one he could find considering she was laying on top of her other blankets – because in the morning he was leaving, and it seemed he had unknowingly missed his chance. He had planned on thanking her, having already thought of what he wanted to say to her hours before hand – intending to point out that he recognized she went above and beyond her basic duties and that he was both_ impressed_, and truly _appreciated_ her remarkable work ethic. He wanted to remind her that whatever the outcome of their meeting was, good or bad, she had given it her all and made him proud, so by extension, she should be proud of _herself_ as well.

What was more, he wasn't sure how _long_ he would be gone because these types of meetings tended to be on the rather inconsistent side. Sometimes a collaboration hearing would last for a mere few hours at best, and other times they would meet off and on for days while details were debated and numbers adjusted. At the very least, of all that he had wanted to say to her, he had wanted to give her a proper goodbye. He had already talked to Eld and had given him a long list of tasks and training routines that would keep the Squad cared for in his absence, but with Petra, it was different.

It wasn't business or unmet demands that he wanted her to see to – not a goodbye that was merely a kind of damage control as he requested she watch over his paperwork for him. No, a simple 'Goodbye,' or 'I'll see you when I get back' just didn't seem sufficient for her anymore. He had spent every moment of his waking hours with her for so long now that he knew full well he would come to miss her company, and soon, and he…wanted to tell her as much.

She had asked him so long ago what she meant to him, and it had been impossible to put into words. Even now he wasn't sure how to articulate such a thing, but he found that certain things – certain things he _could_ name, and he thought that telling her now, letting her know his thoughts intentionally before he left might give her enough time to think them over, to evaluate perhaps any unsorted questions within her own mind – without the pressure of him being so close to her all the time and making her feel unintentionally cornered.

He wanted to tell her that while he was away, he would miss her cheerful smile, her laughter that came so easily, her insightful conversations and her raw determination and focus. He would miss her sensitivity and her graciousness. He was well aware that he was lacking in the social graces, and yet she tolerated him and never belittled him for moments he didn't quite fit in with everyone else, or moments he perhaps outright embarrassed her with his guarded and standoffish mannerisms that came off as crass or demeaning.

As much as he had wanted to impart those things to her, he couldn't bring himself to wake her up for that alone, perhaps feeling a little silly even thinking about doing such a thing because he was certain that in her sleep deprived state, she likely wouldn't even care or remember. For all he knew, she might have found his musings to be boring or irrelevant; after all, they had been working so professionally without a single glance out of place for so long now, it stood to reason that their dynamic may have shifted yet again to something more platonic in nature. As much as he may have wanted to deny it, perhaps Petra truly was more comfortable in a close, confident sort of coworker relationship, rather than the unstable sort of something that they had had before.

Even still, he had wanted to tell her that maybe, perhaps he _was_ wanting something different with her.

Not a relationship of course. Not anything serious or anything binding but just…something not so closed off, perhaps?

He wanted to be close with her. He wanted to feel that warm trust that Petra had once regarded him with. He wanted to see that smile again – the one he had seen before at the banquet; the shy, beautiful one that brought a rosiness to her cheeks and a hesitance to her gaze as she watched him nervously for approval because it was _his_ approval alone that she was seeking. He wanted her attention. He wanted her devotion. It was selfish, he knew, but he wanted it just the same.

Damn, he wanted to kiss her again.

And _not_ because he had fucked up either, but simply because he _could_.

But.

Without Petra's permission. Without Petra saying that she_ also _wanted those things. Without Petra confirming that it was okay that things were changing between them, well, there was nothing he could do.

So, he had planned to tell her - tell her in a way that gave her time to think and time to come to her own decision while he was away so it would be fair and not pressuring to her, but she had fallen asleep and it seemed almost like a bad omen, because she had _always_ woken up every time before, and yet _this_ time she remained perfectly asleep. It was as though fate was telling him flat out that Petra would forever be out of his reach because he had already fucked up more than his fair share with her and had run out of chances to claim her as his own.

So, regardless his musings, regardless how he had hoped such a conversation might have gone with her, he had simply left her room and allowed her to sleep. He had gone back to his room, and went to bed.

He was certain that he had fallen asleep, but whether or not he had _rested_, that was another matter altogether.

Even still, rested or not, it wouldn't be long at all now until Erwin and Four Eyes met him near the Compound door, so after making his bed and packing his things, Levi left his room and tried to mentally prepare for the long trip ahead of him. He carefully made his way down the hall, walking more from memory than sight considering it was well before sunrise and the hall was practically pitch black.

In truth, he wasn't exactly looking forward to the meeting considering the heavy subject matter and the fact that their goal was to effectively secure more gas than any other faction in the military, in a time where _everyone's _materials were in short supply - a considerably uphill battle as the Scouts had always been lacking support, and were now seeking exclusive privileges on the account that they were the only faction to fight the Titans head on. Their chances were slim to none, but Erwin had taken on even worse odds in the past, and had somehow still found a way to come out on top, so Levi supposed it wasn't a complete waste of time.

Luckily, his part was extremely minimal throughout the collaboration, in that his mere_ attendance_ was required. It would be Hanji and Erwin that would do most of the talking, and Levi supposed that even in the event that there were questions asked of him specifically, be it his opinion or observations regarding the gas shortage, he had been working knee deep in those same numbers with Petra for countless hours on end, so he supposed he was as knowledgeable as he could be on the subject and would share a different perspective than Hanji or Erwin, who spent most of their hours behind a desk.

Levi made his way into the large open room of the Compound, where his squad would always gather and converse before the day's tasks began. It was strange, how silent and still the room was without their laughter and bickering. It was still dark, hard to make out much of anything, and Levi had to walk more slowly to ensure he didn't bump into any of the set out tables and chairs, but as he made his way further into the room – a soft glowing light, a single lamp, had been lit near the door, and it grabbed his attention.

At first glance he could see the outline of a feminine figure and for a moment he could only assume that Hanji had beaten him to the room so now they would just be waiting for Erwin to join them, but as he focused on the silhouetted outline, he realized that the figure was simply too small to be Hanji, and Levi found himself squinting because there was no way that it was actually-

"Levi, good morning." Petra's soft voice seemed to echo across the empty room, and Levi actually stalled in place, shocked thru and thru because it was her voice and her form, and yet some part of him had been so certain she was back in her room, sleeping peacefully because she of all people had certainly earned the rest but-

"Petra you…" Finally finding his voice, Levi made his way across the room more quickly, not so worried about bumping into things thanks to the soft glow of the lamp she had lit, and he found himself setting his bag on the floor as he shook his head in question, a sort of alarm running through him because for Petra to be up like this, his mind was racing. He walked toward her, his voice urgent as he spoke and his hands coming to rest on her hips as he watched her for any signs of distress, looking her up and down in concern, "You are…you're _exhausted_ Petra, why, what – what are you doing up? Is everything okay?"

At his numerous questions, there was a soft chuckle that left her lips because it was obvious that he had the wrong idea, and Levi felt his eyebrows draw together in confusion because after looking her over she seemed…fine? So, what was she doing up then?

Her eyes seemed to glow in the gentle, flickering light and Petra gave him a soft, pensive smile, "Levi, you're going on your big trip today and I…well, sorry, I guess it's kind of silly now because it comes with the territory of being a Commanding Officer, but I wanted to…" she rocked in place nervously, and due to the soft lighting of the room Levi couldn't quite see her well enough to be certain, but even still he would have bet a large sum of money that she was blushing heavily, "Well, I wanted to wish you good luck, and to see you off, if that's – well, if that's okay I mean. I know you've been working really hard and office work isn't your favorite sort of thing, but I know this means a lot to you, and to Erwin, and it's a really big deal for all of us Scouts, so I wanted to cheer you on and tell you to do your best!"

Levi blinked at her words. After working so hard with him, after collapsing at his desk yet again – she had somehow managed to wake up only a short few hours later, just to say goodbye? Levi shook his head, a sort of chuckle leaving him as he mentally chided himself because he really should have known. Of course Petra would want to wake up if only to do that one simple thing, because that was simply her nature.

Feeling a sudden warmness in his chest, Levi released his prior hold on her and crossed his arms, "Cheer me on? And in what context?"

He wasn't sure what she meant, he doubted_ she _knew what she had meant, and had intended to turn her words against her in a playful sort of taunt, but instead of Petra's eyes going wide as he had expected, she merely gave a determined smile and nodded haughtily, "Like this." She took a single step back and clapped her hands emphatically, causing him to blink in sheer surprise and question, "Yay, Captain Levi! Yay for his book smarts and tenacity! Yay, Captain Levi! Humanity's Strongest and most studied! Three cheers for Captain Levi!"

As Petra gave a sudden sort of 'cheer' for him - he wasn't sure whether to laugh or groan, and he merely watched her in utter confusion because what the actual fuck. His mouth was slightly open and he made a face, "This is…terrible. I think I'd-"

"Captain, I'm not done!" Petra gasped sharply, reprimanding him in sheer offense as her previous clapping came to a sudden end. She crossed her arms bitterly with a smirk, and _now_ he groaned, "Fuck, there's _more?_"

Petra nodded seriously, "I may or may not be making this up as I go, but _you're_ the one who asked, and since you're being such a good sport about it, now there's a second verse."

A low, heavy sigh was heard as Levi watched her flatly.

"Proceed."

Again, Petra began clapping just as dramatically, and Levi shook his head in amusement as her terrible sort of cheer picked up just the same, "Yay Levi-"

"I thought it was _Captain_ Levi."

She paused in thought, "Well this verse is more personal in nature. You know, hits home for the common man. Your title would ruin its sincerity and relevance."

"Ah."

Again the clapping resumed, "Yay Levi! His violence is only outmatched by his glare! Titans beware and mortal men stare at the greatness that is our Captain Levi!" At the end of her cheering, she did a sort of jazz hands sort of finish, and Levi quirked an eyebrow in dread, fearing that there might just be another verse three that followed, and eventually Petra gave a shrug and giggled at his perturbed, cautious sort of stare, "That's all I got, but I've got to say it was pretty good. I'll have a few more versus lined up for when you get back; I think you'll be impressed."

He snorted and rolled his eyes, "Oh. I can hardly wait."

"But did you hear that last part even rhymed? I think I've got a knack for this."

"No, you really don't."

"Well _you're_ the one who asked about it."

"And after hearing it, I'm sorry I did."

Petra's eyes narrowed, though there was a smile pulling at the edge of her lips, "You know, you really are no fun Captain. You take everything so seriously and respond to everything like you're so damn cool; you're no fun to tease at all."

Levi gave an amused 'Hmph' and nodded toward her, "Teasing? That's what all that was? And here I thought you got up to cheer me on and help me get a jumpstart to the day."

At his words, Petra's expression seemed to warm as she watched him contentedly, and she turned around toward the table behind her, speaking as she did so, "I did in fact, and that-" she shuffled for a few moments, before turning back toward him and pressing a metal cannister into his hands, "Is exactly what this is for."

Levi looked down at the object Petra had handed him, feeling a warmth from the metal container and already knowing what it was as Petra spoke softly in confirmation, "It's nothing special – just a thermos of coffee to help shake off any sluggishness resulting from the early start. I know you're tired and I didn't think you'd find the time to make yourself a cup because we've been hitting the books pretty hard these last few nights. Don't worry, I promise I didn't do anything to it – Scout's Honor."

At the strange sort of vow – was that supposed to be a pun or a bad joke of sorts – Levi made a face, though Petra missed it and continued undaunted, "Granted I _personally_ wouldn't be able to drink it because it's way too strong for me, but I'd like to think that it's up to par for your standards, Captain. I hope you enjoy it."

Looking at the coffee in his hands, realizing Petra would have had to get up likely before even he himself had, just to brew the coffee for him, Levi found he wasn't quite sure what to say. He nodded lightly and set the thermos down on the table, his eyes focusing on Petra as he was reminded of all he had wanted to say to her the night before and not wanting to squander the presented opportunity.

"Petra I-" as he spoke, he watched her green eyes widen at his troubled expression, and she watched him in growing concern as he struggled to find his words. It was strange, he realized in a sort of mental stupor; he had so much to say, so much to tell her, so much to be grateful for – and yet he was just so taken aback by everything – her thoughtfulness, her kindness and gentle spirit, her horrible sort of sing-songy cheer and just the fact the through it all she had wanted to see him just once more before they set off - eventually he gave a heavy sigh, "Well for starters, you make sure to tell Eld that I'm issuing a late start for you and the rest of the squad today. You _also_ worked very hard, and while_ I_ can't sleep in, that shouldn't stop you. Hell, at least _one_ of us should get some proper rest now that it's all said and done, right? I want you to make sure that you get back to bed after we've left Petra; you've earned it and need to recuperate."

Hearing his words, Petra gave a shy nod, well aware that his command was granted _specifically_ with her in mind and she smiled at his confirmation of a job well done, "Oh, well, uh, thank you, Captain. I appreciate it. I'm just glad I could help."

He nodded and looked around the room in attempts to sort his thoughts further, mentally debating where, or how he should start. He had never been well versed in discussing his personal thoughts, let alone his own emotions, and the last thing he wanted to do was look foolish and cause Petra to laugh at him when he was trying to be sincere.

He took a breath and tried to ignore the frantic sort of pounding in his chest, "There's actually something else I wanted to say Petra, before I left, I mean. We've been spending a lot of time together as of late –_ especially_ as of late – in getting ready for the meeting, and you should know that…" he took a step closer toward her, finding himself staring into her wide emerald eyes and almost losing his train of thought outright because the way she watched him, so ardently and with such gentleness and understanding in her eyes – he almost chuckled as all his building anxiousness left him like the retreating waves of a shoreline.

He felt absolutely stupid, but for a different reason entirely. His sudden nervousness just wasn't necessary, because it was _Petra_ he was talking to. Petra, who was so understanding, so gracious, so very kind and doting, Petra, who always seemed to assume the best in him - he didn't need to worry about coming across the wrong way with her because of all people, she seemed to accept him for the man he was, flaws and quirks and insults and all.

He raised a hand toward her as he spoke, as if outright moving in slow motion. He was about to bring her closer to him, whisper in her ear and tell her all the things that he had been thinking about; telling her that he really_ didn't_ agree with her request over a month ago now, that he wanted to pursue her, that he wanted to allow her in his life and come what may between them – but out of his peripheral vision, Erwin and Hanji appeared at the end of the hall and Levi gave a deep, bitter and mournful sigh.

"Morning Levi! Oh, and you too Petra? What a surprise, good morning! Did you come to see us all off? How thoughtful! What a great way to start off the day! Erwin, isn't that just the sweetest thing?"

God, fucking Four Eyes talked too damn much. Levi ground his teeth together in aggravation, now feeling completely idiotic with his hand all but hovering midair; having neither successfully brought Petra toward him, nor having said even an _ounce_ of what he needed to - having done _none_ of the things he had thought about previously and aggravated all the more by Hanji's overwhelming cheer and their unintentional interrupting him at a rather crucial moment.

He clicked his tongue and placed his previously floating hand down onto Petra with a sort of pat, tapping her shoulder a few times as though congratulating her for something, and he mentally grimaced when Petra slowly looked down at her shoulder in obvious confusion, then back toward him in concern because…did he just _pat_ her, like a dog?

"Uh…Captain?" she asked quietly, and Levi looked over his shoulder toward Hanji and Erwin, scowling when Hanji gave a wave with _both_ hands as they eventually came to rest a few feet away. Levi's eyes narrowed at the display. It had been ten seconds, and she was _already_ annoying him; who fucking waved with both hands like that? Why? It wasn't necessary; was she _trying _to irritate him?

From in front of him, Levi heard Petra take a breath, and he mentally groaned as she asked in clear concern, "Captain, you said…that there was something you needed to tell me, before you left?" she paused, looking toward Erwin and Hanji and giving them an acknowledging nod as she continued, "Was it something you had wanted to say _privately _or…?"

Levi glared as he watched both Erwin and Hanji give a knowing sort of smile, and he dropped his hand from Petra, defaulting to crossing his arms across his chest and shaking his head balefully, "No. I had wanted to say thank you for your hard work this past week. Your data will help us in the upcoming meeting, and you served the Scouts well and faithfully. You have my appreciation."

At that, Levi watched her stoically.

Petra found she didn't know _what _to say, and remained silent.

Hanji had_ almost _laughed, but due to the sheer _palpable_ discomfort that was settling over the room, decided against it and could only watch the couple in question.

A long, long – _painfully_ long – silence filled the room, and when it became clear that Levi _was _in fact done speaking and that Petra _still _had no idea what to say in response (if her mystified, _what the hell_ stare meant anything) Erwin cleared his throat intentionally and held out a hand toward her warmly, "Levi is right, Petra. If I understand correctly, you have been tirelessly assisting him out of your free will and using all your personal time to further our cause, and that speaks volumes. I've said it before, but it stands to be repeated – your devotion to our future is notable Mrs. Ackerman, and I truly appreciate your sacrifice."

Petra gave a few collecting nods and shook his offered hand, "Thank you Commander, and honestly, I actually enjoyed it more than anything. I've found that I appreciate looking at data, and so if that skill can in turn be used in a way that ends up_ helping_ the Scouts in the future, then that's just the icing on the cake."

As she spoke, Levi had moved to grab his things and took a step toward the door, "Oi Erwin, Four Eyes, let's get a move on. Mike should already be waiting for us at the stable so we need to get going."

At Levi's stern sort of announcement, Erwin gave Petra an apologetic smile, "Well, duty calls I'm afraid. I'm not sure when we'll be getting back, but I'll try to return your husband to you as quickly as possible, alright?" he paused and looked toward Levi flatly, his voice more pointed as he spoke, "Anything _else_ you want to say to Petra before we go, Captain? Any last-minute wishes or _responsibilities _that need to be cared for?"

Levi's blue eyes merely narrowed in challenge as he watched Erwin, and he set his jaw tightly, "No. My squad doesn't need me to micromanage them; that's why they're all elites in the first place, dumbass."

Erwin's held up a hand in correction, because it was clear the grumpy tyrant had missed his point completely. "No, Levi I was…" Erwin groaned and took a collecting breath, "You know what, never mind. After you, Captain."

Levi nodded with a huff and opened the door. He gave a single nod toward Petra then walked out without another word. The Commander followed after him, equally as silent, with Hanji in tow only a few steps behind.

"Is he always this pleasant in the mornings?" the Scientist asked Petra with a shake of her head, and the ginger gave a shrug as she walked her toward the door.

"Sometimes better, sometimes worse. You get used to it, though I suppose that's not necessarily a good thing." she responded simply and paused at the doorframe, not wanting to outright _follow _them to the stable and overstay her welcome. Hanji gave her a large grin and wished her well, then walked after her male comrades, taking larger steps to catch back up and join her departing team.

Petra watched the trio walk down the path, and she gave a wave, speaking up so she could be heard clearly, "Bye, guys! Travel safely! Do your best; we're all counting on you!"

There was a mirthful giggle from Hanji, a thanks from Erwin, and from Levi, a mere flick of his hand in a sort of upright wave over his shoulder, not even having been bothered enough to turn around.

Petra gave an amused shake of her head at the dynamic team and shut the door behind her, eager to inform Eld of the Captain's updated orders, because she desperately wanted to get back to bed and put this strange morning behind her.

.

* * *

.

It had taken a mere five _seconds_ after Petra had closed the door and retreated back into the Compound for Hanji to start talking again.

"Sooo." She began in a sort of casual tone, her gaze falling squarely onto Levi as they walked down the dirt path, "Did you guys get in a fight or something?"

Though he was trying his damndest to ignore her, because it was _too fucking early_ for Hanji, he could_ feel_ her stare and he rolled his eyes in muted annoyance.

"No."

"You sure? Then what was with the chilly atmosphere back there?" she responded with a sort of chuckle and gave him a teasing slap on the back, to which he gave her a murderous glare, but before Levi could formulate an actual response, Erwin nodded his head subtly.

"I will say, that was a rather…_callous_ way of saying goodbye to your wife, Levi."

"Callous?" Levi repeated with irritation, not pleased that he was suddenly the focus of their conversation because what the hell did _they_ know about it. He had _wanted_ to give her a 'proper' goodbye – hell, he had wanted to talk with her last night, just to make _sure_ that he thanked her properly. Of course, that hadn't gone at all like he had expected, and while it left him feeling perhaps a bit hollow, he had come to peace with the fact that he would just have to talk with her when he got back.

Granted, he hadn't expected her to be there, waiting for him. Regardless her exhaustion, she had somehow woken up before him, just to see him off. That alone spoke volumes, but as if that wasn't enough to show the depths of her devotion, she already had coffee in hand, coffee that she had made for him _specifically_ no less. He supposed he had forgotten just how thoughtful Petra could be, and it only solidified the fact that he _needed_ to tell her and speak his mind, because she needed to know the depths of which her kindness spoke to him. Regardless, when the moment finally presented itself of its own accord, he just couldn't quite find the words he had been so confident in last night, and found himself fumbling and stuttering when presented with all the good that Petra was to him, because she had taken him by surprise yet again.

Levi had been…perhaps, considering kissing her, knowing full well that it broke Petra's request to keep their physical relationship contained, and that alone caused him to stall in place indecisively considering he would be outright repaying her kindness with complete selfishness on his part, but he figured that maybe, she'd forgive him and cut him a little bit of grace considering he would be gone for a few days at least and he knew it would mean something to her. But as he struggled to find his words, struggled to speak his mind and struggled to make good on his desires to hold the woman who was just too fucking good for him, Erwin and Hanji had walked in and that had been that.

There was _no_ way he would do such a thing in front of his own peers, no way he could speak the words that even_ he_ struggled to come to terms with – especially not in front of fucking Four Eyes who _always_ had a comment about everything - and the hand that he had lifted to pull around her neck, the hand that was intended to help close the distance between them and brush through her amber locks, had – rather _lamely _he could admit – fallen on her shoulder instead.

Hanji merely gave a half snort sort of giggle and rolled her eyes, "Oh, sorry – I'm sure for_ you_ Levi, that pat on the shoulder was a _smoldering_ sign of appreciation and probably really screams the 'I'll miss you' vibe for someone of _your_ social caliber, but for all us _non-hermits_, that was pretty painful to watch." The Scientist adjusted her glasses and looked down at him with a grin, "You couldn't have even _tried_ to be a little more personal when saying goodbye to her? That was awful, Levi."

At her words, Levi merely scowled at Hanji's half joking sort of teasing, because they both knew full well that beyond her light tone and deceptive, easy going smile…she was only _half _teasing.

Levi's expression darkened all the more, "…It's _fine._"

Erwin gave a quiet chuckle as he watched Levi's mood darken considerably, and he shook his head, "I don't know, Captain. Petra has always been rather selfless, always putting the wellbeing of others before her own. Self-sacrifice just comes so naturally to her, and whether intentional or not, _you_ reap the benefits of that selflessness more than anyone else."

Levi looked up toward the Commander and watched him flatly, "I've been her Captain for five years now Erwin, going on six. I'm already aware of all of that. Do you have a point in all of this, or are both of you just super fucking conversational at the ass-crack of dawn?"

"Just this. Petra's been helping you with your workload for months now, spending every moment of her free time to help prepare us for the collaboration simply because you _asked_ her to - and after working sunup to sundown relentlessly, today she is up hours before she needs to be, just so she can see you off. You don't think your casual, arms distance response to her was a little cold? Maybe a little hurtful and dismissive, after all she's done for you lately?"

Levi scoffed, more than irritated at his peers chiding and trying to brush it off because this was a lousy way to start their journey and he was tired of being scolded, "So she was up early today, big fucking deal. Maybe she was up to take an early shower and saw me down the hall, maybe she was cleaning her gear – just because she was up doesn't mean that her entire morning revolved around seeing _me_ out the door. Besides, I greeted her, said what I needed to, end of story. Stop assuming Petra's intentions and get your nose out of my damn business."

Erwin shrugged innocently, "Very well Levi. I suppose it_ could_ have been her going about her day and it was all a simple coincidence. I suppose there's no real proof that she went out of her way with _you _specifically in mind, after all." Erwin paused and looked down the path blankly as he spoke, "Just one question for you, Captain."

"What." Levi barely held back a growl and brought the thermos up to his lips, taking a sip of the robust coffee and missing the slight twinkle of amusement in Erwin's passing glance.

"That coffee you've got there – _who_ made it?"

There was a sort of choked coughing that came from Levi as he seemed to have swallowed the liquid the wrong way, and Erwin smirked as Levi swore softly to himself and fell suspiciously quiet.

…

* * *

End of Chapter

* * *

…

Oh my gosh guys – am I seeing this number correctly? Is this chapter twenty-eight? Holy mother of Gandhi, I am LONG winded. And still going strong, because I still am writing this out bit by bit and still working to bring this story to one I can call complete and we've got a long way to go before we get to the finish line. I still think that 70ish chapters is a fair estimate, so we're about a thirdish of the way done here?

In terms of where I am in written out material, I'm probably about chapter 50ish? That sounds right to me? Its hard to say, because I don't necessarily write sequentially, so I've got what is written out step by step in the plot, then a section here or there that I really like, then parts near the end - so I'm making progress to be sure, but it's a little bit of a jigsaw moment and hard to pinpoint in chapter order. Either way, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter because again, it really needed to happen and I hope you enjoyed Petra's horrible attempt at cheering on Levi, and as always - Erwin. I flipping love Erwin because he is so soft spoken, and yet brilliant and goes for the kill in such simple ways. Poor Levi never stood a chance haha.

I'll sign off for now, get my jersey on, do all my game day rituals, and hope that the gods of football smile down upon my beloved Chiefs today. #redandgoldtillimdeadandold #Hillsbackbaby #Thatkidhaslighteningforfeetandredbullforblood #PleasefortheloveofallthatisgoodandholylettheChiefswintoday


	29. The One Where Eld has a Point

Happy Sunday everyone!

Today is a special day! If I understand correctly, it's a certain someone's birthday today? *confettis rain down from top of screen* Happy Birthday to Lena, and yall be sure to send out good, happy birthday vibes as well! Hopefully this chapter is up to your (and everyone's) standards! Have the happiest, best of birthdays!

I wanted to note that I see a few comments here and there from the people who are on the more shy side, that follow week by week but may not frequently review, and I wanted to give a special shout out and say hello to my readers that, bless your heart, had some_ serious_ reading to do to catch up. Well done, and hopefully yall are also enjoying the story just as much. If you haven't seen along the way, Sundays are my weekly update, and I try to update around, eh…anywhere from 7-10 EST?

Same with last time, this entire section got beefed up a bit – but luckily this chapter is merely_ enhanced_, versus last chapter that didn't exist at all. I'm glad yall liked the last one as well, it was a needed addition to be sure. That Levi is an enigma, so I enjoy it when I get to delve into his perspective.

Onto the chapter!

...

* * *

...

Petra was sprawled out on her hands and knees, scrubbing the floor with a rag in a circular motion and chuckling lightly at the conversation she was having with Eld, who was standing on top of a nearby counter so he would be tall enough to dust the edges of the ceiling.

"I'm pretty sure you're being over dramatic." She responded to her superior with a grin, sitting up slightly and rinsing the rag off in the bucket before returning back to the floor to continue mopping the large floor with precision, taking care to ensure that all the scuffs and caked on dirt was removed from the tile.

"Pretty sure I'm not." Eld confirmed as he looked down at her with a cheeky smirk, "Admit it, Levi's been gone for a measly forty-eight hours and already you're all sighs and dramatic, longing glances out the window in hopes that your-" he paused for effect and gave a teasing, dramatic sigh as he batted his eyes longingly, "_Dreamy man crush_ comes back home to you soon. Ah, parting is such sweet sorrow. Two ships in the night, will their paths yet cross again?"

Petra gave a roll of her eyes and laughed loudly at Eld's theatrics, "I have done no such thing, and I _know _that because the aforementioned 'dreamy man crush' - your words, not mine - left us with so much assigned cleaning in his absence that there's been no time to just sit at a window – rather pathetically I might add – and wait for him to get back. I'll admit I've been a little nervous and on edge, but that's not because he's gone, it's because I know what a big deal this meeting is and how much it means to him._ And_ us. It's a big deal Eld, for real."

She paused for a moment and stole a glance up toward Eld, who was still watching her with a knowing smirk that silently communicated he didn't believe her in the slightest. She sat up slightly and pulled her hair up into a ponytail as she spoke with a disappointed frown, rather tired of her hair getting in her eyes each time she leaned back toward the floor. "Honestly if there's _anything_ that's been getting to me, it's that I can't help but feel Erwin should have brought me with them. Most of the numbers they're presenting are _my_ work, and I want to hear the outcome just as much as they do. Good or bad, at least they'll _know_ in a few days, but me? I'll have to wait until they get back who knows when, and it's driving me crazy."

Eld wiped the damp cloth along the edge of the wall, clearing away the dust and grime as he spoke, "And that's assuming they tell you_ at all_ mind you. This meeting is for the head leadership of each faction and may very well end up being categorized as classified information. If that's the case, you'll just have to make peace with it, because they won't be able to tell you even if they wanted to. Hey, rinse this out for me?"

He tossed the dusty rag toward her and Petra rinsed it out absentmindedly, wringing out the extra water and tossing the rag back up to him so he could continue his task.

"Thanks. You think the meeting is going to go well?"

Petra shrugged at his question and leaned back across the expanse of the floor as she continued to scrub it clean methodically, "Who can say? I've been crunching the numbers behind the scenes and while the data seems obvious to me, I'm no Officer, and at the end of the day the decision falls to someone else who likely hasn't seen any real combat – let alone what combat looks like outside the walls when we face the Titans head on. All we can hope is that the data speaks for itself and they come to understand that lives will be lost – which at the very least represents a significant cost to the government. It's much more cost effective to keep an _already _trained soldier alive than it is to train a new one from the ground up, so if the loss of life isn't enough to scare them, then hopefully the _money _it will take to replace them, will be."

There was a slight pause as they both focused on their tasks, and after a moment Eld stepped down from the counter, moving across the room and standing up on the next high surface he could leverage so he could continue his task. He spoke louder so his voice reverberated off the walls, considering his back was turned to her, "Now what will you do when he gets back?"

"How do you mean?"

Eld gave a slight grunt as he stretched his arm out, barely able to reach into the corner from where he was presently stationed. Wiping the dust away with jerky, strained motions due to the distance, he finally gave an exhale and turned back over his shoulder to look at her.

"It's just that you _really_ went out of your way to help them out; frankly that kind of work is above and beyond your job title and pay grade and they _know _that, so after a full week of spending every waking moment at Levi's beck and call and working with leadership to build a strong case for this super important meeting – I don't know, I think Captain owes you a date or something, don't you?"

Petra gaped at Eld's statement, finding that the conversation took a sharp turn that she hadn't expected, "A date?" she stammered in a sudden squeak of protest, "You're _kidding,_ right? With Levi? I, uh…"

Eld hopped off the counter and walked toward her, careful to avoid the wet sections of the floor so there wouldn't be footprints left behind that she would have to rewash. He rinsed the rag out and shrugged, "Yes, a date. With your husband. Oh come on, don't tell me you guys are _still _trying to walk that 'We're not a couple' line, right? I thought you guys worked it out or whatever."

Petra stared into the floor, finding that in her sudden nervousness she was scrubbing the floor with more force than necessary, "I'd _prefer _to think of it as the 'We're professionals who both have _jobs_ to see to' line, and what's more, things have been going really well as of late and I don't want to mess that up by walking down_ that_ path again. We spend a lot of time together, and even though we've both acknowledged that _maybe_ there's something there, things are nice as they are. We found a good rhythm and can spend time together without it getting weird. Why should I want to change that?"

Eld moved a few feet across the floor, joining her in scrubbing the floor so the task would be completed sooner. "Okay, sure, things are good _now_, but what about in another month? Two months? Or a year? You really mean to tell me that this cordial, polite sort of arms distance relationship will satisfy either of you for much longer?"

She paused from her scrubbing and looked up toward him with a conflicted expression, and Eld gave a shrug.

"Petra, I know you. I see how you watch him when he's not looking, and you've got it_ bad_ for him." He gave a chuckle at her mortified, humiliated expression and he nodded warmly, "It's okay to want…something more, you know? But he's not going to know what you want unless you tell him. You should think about bringing it up to him; you know, just ask him where things are going, tell him what you are wanting from the relationship, that sort of thing. It doesn't have to be complicated, just tell him what's on your mind. With how blunt he is, you'll probably get a direct, straight answer right then and there."

Petra gave a shake of her head, her words more slow as various thoughts came to mind. After a moment of silence where she tried to collect her thoughts, she eventually looked toward him with a heavy sigh, "I just…I don't know. It's hard to tell him what I want when I _myself _am not even sure. When I married the Captain, I truly believed that the romance section of my life would simply cease to exist, and sure, that hurt a bit, but I knew that going in so it was okay; I was _prepared_ to be alone in that respect."

She sat up and rested back into her heels, pausing from her task of cleaning so she could explain her thoughts without distraction, "Well imagine my surprise when things started changing between us. Imagine going from a place where you _never _thought you'd be in a relationship, to suddenly toying with the idea of being involved with your_ Commanding Officer_. Even now when I think about it, it makes me uncomfortable. Every bit of training I have in me is screaming that he's off limits because he's _The_ Captain Levi."

She shook her head, her eyes narrowing in contemplation and focus, "But…if I somewhat conveniently _forget_ that he's my Commanding Officer and think of him as just Levi…" Her voice trailed off into a sort of nostalgic haze, "I think about the conversations we've had, the memories we now share, how awkward he is, how everything sort of just happened on its own…and I realize that a part of me wants those things that I shouldn't want, the exact things that I was prepared to leave behind. All of the sudden I find that I _want_ the firsts, I want the fights, I want the butterflies, and I want to be wanted."

Eld allowed the silence to draw out, and he also sat up from the floor, watching her pointedly for clarification, "Wanted - as in, by Levi specifically, or…?"

Petra gave an exhale and returned Eld's pensive stare with a nervous shrug, "At one time if you asked me that, asked what it might look like for me to get involved with someone, I might have said that it could have been _anyone,_ because I didn't have any specific person in mind. It was always just a faceless someone that I'd meet at a café, perhaps someone I'd bump shoulders with in the military – just some nameless, formless Mr. Right."

Petra found herself fiddling with the wrinkles of her sleeves, hesitant to look at Eld while saying such personal things because her honesty made her feel suddenly exposed, "But now when I think about those things, even if I don't mean to, I inevitably see him – see Levi _specifically_ \- without fail. I think about what it might be like if we did this or that or-"

Eld smirked, "This or that?"

Petra rolled her eyes and gave a light smile, "Yes, this or that, and get your mind out of the gutter because I wasn't meaning _that._ You're in a relationship so you know what I mean; it could be anything. Going shopping together, cooking a meal together, celebrating a birthday, staying out in the rain or watching a thunderstorm. I can't help but be curious - what would we talk about? Would we be in uniform or would we be in civilian clothes? Would we be happy, or just content to be there, or intentionally teasing and pushing each other's buttons?"

She moved toward the bucket, her actions slowed by thought as she rinsed the rag out again, "At one time, I would have never believed, nor _wanted_ that person to be the Captain because I would have never willingly put myself in such a position, but now…I'm not sure I'll ever want it to be anyone else_ except_ him. And that…well, it scares me. Four months ago he was effectively just my boss, and now…"

Eld gave her a long, appraising sort of stare as she trailed off, "And now?"

"And now I don't _know_ what he is, and that scares me too." She summarized with an almost sort of melancholy, "I don't know if I want to keep testing the boundaries with him or not because things are complicated enough, he's already done so much for me that I don't want to cause him any more trouble, I don't know what he wants from me, I don't know what I want from him, and what's more, the fact that it's all happened so _fast, _that so much has _changed _so fast just…makes my head spin."

Eld gave a sort of groan and blinked as he watched her skeptically, "Fast? You think things have been moving_ fast?_ Let me just say, it's been a long four months for everyone Petra, and that includes the Captain. Pretty sure we all wish you would stop fighting the obvious and just accept the fact that you guys are an item."

He shook his head and rubbed his chin thoughtfully, a sudden smirk across his face as he watched her mischievously, "You know Petra, this is nothing that a few candles and a bottle of wine can't fix. How about this - we'll set you up in his room when he gets back, rub some lemon zest on your neck, maybe undo the top few buttons of your shirt, put a drink in your hands, and just let nature run its course! That easy."

Petra's mouth fell open and she coughed loudly as though she had swallowed something the wrong way, "What the – No, there's _so _much wrong with that. For one, that's _none_ of your business, for two that's _none of your business_ and for three…what the hell is the _lemon_ for?!"

Eld gave her a dumb look and scoffed, "Oh please, like he could_ possibly_ resist you when you smell like a walking bottle of lemon fresh window spray? Come_ on_ Petra, I figured that much would be obvious."

Petra moved back to the floor, grateful to have the distraction as she continued wiping down the tiled surface, "No, Eld. I just told you that things are moving too fast, and the last thing I want to do is pour gasoline on the fire and throw myself at him…_again_." She mumbled to herself almost bitterly in a sort of afterthought, "_He has the self-control of a damned monk_."

Eld grinned at her quiet admission, knowing full well what she was talking about but not letting on that he knew about it because it would only embarrass her all the more. He gave her a sympathetic smile as he watched her furiously scrub the floor, clearly uncomfortable and obviously set on avoiding his eye contact in attempts to sidestep the conversation as a whole.

He merely rinsed out his rag again, noting that they would have to change the water soon because it was morphing into a dingy, murky grey. He moved to a new section of tile and continued scrubbing the floor, looking toward her as he spoke.

"Okay, so if not now, then when? Never? You_ do _realize that with the fact you married him, he's…pretty much your only option for that sort of thing, right? It will be a cold day in hell before he _ever_ lets another man touch you, I can _promise_ you that much, so you might as well start warming up to the idea because unless you plan on being celibate your entire life, it's going to have to happen eventually, with _him_; with 'The' Captain Levi – your words, not mine."

"Uugh, can you not say that out loud?" Petra groaned as she looked at him fiercely, her face glowing a bright red,  
"It's weird! If you're that passionate about it, then maybe _you _should try your candles and wine trick and leave me _out_ of this!"

Eld chuckled, "Hey now, there's no need to be shy about it."

From across the room, there was a new voice, "No need to be shy about what?"

Gunther walked into the room and Eld grinned at him, giving him a casual shrug, "Oh nothing. Petra's trying to seduce the Captain is all."

Hearing this, Gunther gave a grunt and exhaled as though actually _relieved_ to hear it, "About damned time. Well hey, if you're looking for ideas, you could always just prance around in that sports bra outfit of yours. Don't think it escaped my notice that ever since he blew up about it, you've been dressing a lot more conservative lately."

Gunther moved toward the table and took a seat, and Eld's eyes narrowed at Gunther's observation and he gave a nod as though the thought had never occurred to him, "Oh touché! What's that all about, Petra? Could it be you aren't comfortable with Levi being _attracted_ to you?"

Petra stammered at the_ still_ increasingly personal conversation that was now publicly being held with not just one, but _two_ of her squad mates. She sat up and put a hand on her hip in frustration, "Um, if you recall, he wasn't voicing his _attraction_, he was voicing that he thought I was an _attention-seeking whore_, which coincidentally, is not my idea of a compliment. Since then I've been a little more…_intentional_ about what I wear around him. Granted the extra layers are annoying, but if it means he keeps his judgmental gaze to himself, then I can suffer through it."

Gunther rolled his eyes and grumbled, "Oh yeah, he stares at you like that because he's _judging_ you, obviously. You show a little skin and the man loses it, because he's_ such _a gentleman. Right, makes sense to me. What else could it_ possibly_ be?"

Though his statement was one of overwhelming sarcasm, Petra merely nodded in firm agreement, and Gunther raised a hand in defeat, being reminded of just how dense Petra could be, "…You're hopeless, Captain's in denial, and we're all fucked." Gunther rubbed his eyes in exhaustion, "I wish you guys would just sit down and figure it out already. This is grueling, and I'm not even_ trying_ to keep up with it."

Petra gave a groan and stood up, no longer embarrassed but now simply mad and feeling that her squad mates had pushed her well beyond what was fair, "Well then _don't!_ I'm sorry that my situation has put all of you at odds, but…it's not that easy, and you know it! You both remember how uneasy you were about it when I told you we'd be getting married, so imagine how it must feel to be the person actually_ married_ to him!"

She looked at Eld sharply, then to Gunther, her voice raised as she stared them down simultaneously, "Stop making it seem like it's just some _simple _thing and that we are just too stubborn to 'make it work out'. Have you considered that, I don't know, what if I don't _want _to settle down into a committed relationship? That maybe_ Levi_ isn't looking for anything serious? Have you considered that talking to the man can be like talking to a _rock?_ Have you considered that our situation is unprecedented and that there are _real_ feelings, and _real _emotions involved that are not going to be resolved with a stupid fucking bottle of wine and sloppy sex? How dare you both try to minimize this and not even consider_ my_ feelings in the matter – shame on both of you!"

She slammed her rag onto the floor and stormed out of the room, "You know, if you're so damn set on living my life for me, then _you_ can finish my cleaning assignments for today. I'm going to the Office to keep his paperwork in line. Both of you just…fucking leave me alone!"

As Petra stormed out, Eld gave a long sigh and Gunther gave an accepting, quiet sigh as he moved toward the washcloth she had thrown to the ground, picking it up and scrubbing the section where she had left off in defeated resignation.

"Think we overdid it?" Gunther asked quietly as they both worked on tiled floor, and Eld shrugged.

"You didn't. You just _got_ here, but I may have pushed her a bit far on my end." Eld thought for a moment as he sat up, "I think it's just that she's a little sensitive to our prying because if_ we_ have questions, you can only imagine what's running through_ her_ head. Still though, even if it makes her mad, I can't help but push her to be proactive and figure out exactly what she wants because…you _see _it. There was a time not all that long ago where I wouldn't have ever believed it, but the longer I see her with him, it's time to face the facts: She's _happier_ when she's with him."

Gunther gave a shallow nod, "They both are."

The two men fell silent, the conversation left at an unsatisfying and unresolved end.

.

* * *

_._

_Dear Dad,_

_I've been staring at this piece of paper for a long while, trying to figure out what to say. It's been over six months since I've last written, and it feels like a lifetime ago because so much has changed since then. By now I'm sure you've figured out that I am not coming home as you requested. I suppose I should have written sooner, but I really didn't know what to say and even now it's still hard to find the right words. When you sent those demands so long ago, back when my military term was up for renewal – even now I just can't believe that you would do such a thing. I know that you don't agree with my decision of being in the military, but to go so far as to force your will upon me and so coldly disregard my dreams for my life – I didn't think you would ever do something so hurtful and manipulative. Honestly Dad, why? I can't understand it even now. Why would you put me in such a place? Did you truly believe that you forcing me back would ever lead to my happiness? Words on this page could never express the sheer heartbreak, the betrayal, nor the anger that I've felt because of your complete selfishness and disregard for my wishes. You know how I feel about the military, and what's more, you know how I feel about living life as a civilian, yet even still you chose to do such a vile thing anyway._

_I suppose that it only goes to show that I truly am a chip off the old block, because in your desperation to have your will respected in eliminating mine, you did something hasty; chose actions that will impact our relationship for the rest of our lives – and Father, I must confess that I truly am your daughter, because when push comes to shove, I did the exact same thing._

_I am not sure if you were made aware or not, I know the Commander of the Scouts took care of what he needed to, but I don't know if he made a point to contact you or not – I think you should know that I got married. In order to get out of your authority, in order to make it so I could make my own choices for my life without your interference, there really was only one option you unintentionally left me with, and I took it gladly._

_I really did get married, Dad – all to stay in the military because you seem to have forgotten that it means that much to me._

_I didn't get to wear the dress, and didn't get to have my friends at my side. You who betrayed me, didn't get to walk me down the aisle to give me away. All the sacrifices I've to make and prices that I have to pay because of your selfishness, has hurt me very deeply. While I don't regret my decision, you should know that it was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do in my life._

_While the last few months have been hard and challenging, I suppose I should be grateful to you. Even though your decision was so hurtful and wrong and I will never agree with it for as long as I live, these past four months of marriage have taught me more about myself than I would have ever thought possible._

_I have learned greater depths of my tenacity. I have learned to be more adaptive, and I have learned that sacrifice is all too often a necessary step to achieve a greater goal – but even if or when that greater goal is achieved, it does not numb the heartache of what was left behind, nor lessen its degree of significance by any margin. I have learned that things aren't always so easily labeled as black and white and that life is much more dynamic than I had ever thought it to be before. For example Father, I am angry at you, but you should know I miss you terribly. I am hurt deeply by your actions, and yet I still long for your approval none the less, knowing I will likely never attain it. I want to ignore you, want to intentionally make a point of being silent and distant, yet here I am writing this letter._

_On that note, I can't help but notice that your own words have been relatively scarce as well. Have my actions hurt you, I wonder? I don't doubt it, and even though it wasn't my intention to purposefully return hurt for hurt, I am sorry to have made such a step in my life without your knowledge or involvement. I am sure that you have had your own degree of consequences to work through as you've realized that your plan didn't work out as you had originally intended, and if you weren't already aware of my marriage, at the receipt of this letter you certainly will be._

_As irritated as I am even now, months later, and as much as I'd rather leave you in the dark or give you the cold shoulder, you are my Father and your relationship is very dear to me. Even if it's against my better judgement, I know you're curious as to who it is that I have come to marry, and I suppose you deserve to know at least that much. My husband is none other than Levi Ackerman, a name I'm sure you're familiar with because I know I've written about him from time to time in the past. If you recall, he's my Commanding Officer, and the man who hand selected me to join his squad specifically all those years back. I've been working under him as my boss for about five and a half years now if you can believe it, and I will admit, the adjustment from being just his subordinate, to suddenly his subordinate and now wife – wasn't exactly subtle nor an easy transition._

_Our relationship isn't quite traditional, and as you can imagine we are both pretty busy considering we are both on active duty and have our roles and responsibilities that still come before anything else. Granted, I'm not sure if you and him will be crossing paths any time soon as Levi is a very busy man and I can't really see him stopping by the house just to introduce himself, but in the event that perhaps you do meet him someday – whatever feelings you may have toward him, be it from being my Captain, or for marrying me or whatever, please understand up front that he is very special and dear to me._

_I want you to know that he has a gentle personality, though I don't think that's a word he would ever use to describe himself. He can admittedly be rather particular and more than a little stubborn about anything he has an opinion about, but he has a good heart. It's true that most of the Scout Regiment is somewhat afraid of him as he tends to be a little abrasive and certainly more reserved when working with those he's unfamiliar with, but once you get past that, you'd doubtlessly find he's a good man through and through – and I'm not just saying that to ease your mind either. He truly is a good man Father, and as odd as the situation was that lead us here, I hope you know that Levi is every bit the man you would have wanted to see in someone who married your daughter._

_He's seen more than his fair share of suffering over the years, and it's resulted in him being down to earth, compassionate, and more than understanding of people's brokenness and heartache, regardless the fact that he's a complete prodigy in his own right. His strong devotion to his convictions have driven him to fight for Humanity in the all-consuming manner that he does, and even if I don't always agree with him or find his methods to be vexing or meticulous, he remains true to his heart and follows what he feels is best with an admirable discipline and intentionality._

_It is undeniable to say that he has encouraged me, protected me, and has advised me and challenged me so much over the years. I don't think I'd ever be able to say it to him directly, but the more I think about it, I realize that I'm actually proud to be his wife, Dad. Truly. I wouldn't have ever thought it to be possible, but getting to stand by his side fills me with immense joy and a heightened sense of purpose. I want to support him in return, and encourage him, and devote myself to him in every way for as long as he will let me, simply because it makes me happy to do so. With any luck, perhaps my devotion might repay him for all that he has done for me. While this isn't the kind of thing I like to admit, you should know that he's stuck his neck out for me more than once on the battlefield, and I know full well that if it weren't for him, I wouldn't be alive today. So if at least for that and nothing more, you should be grateful to him and treat him kindly._

_Honestly Dad, if you give him the chance, I know you'll be impressed with him; he's rather remarkable and someone that I've admired for years. But still, if it's not possible, be it because you're bitter that he's my Captain, or husband, or that he's someone else who has chosen to walk the military life, you should know that I will not tolerate you disrespecting him in any way. He is important to me Dad, in the same manner that you are also important to me, so remember that come the time that you feel like you want to belittle him or intimidate him. Fair warning on that front however, Levi doesn't exactly intimidate easily, if at all in fact, so if anything you'll just wind up disappointed._

_I know a letter is probably the worst way to talk about these sensitive matters because there's so much left to be said and so much I don't understand about it all, but I think this is better than nothing, because I don't know the next time I'll be able to take enough time off to visit you. Make no mistake Father, we will talk about this, all of it, and you will have to speak for your despicable actions and explain your abhorrent selfishness because I'm not happy about it and you're going to learn to respect my wishes one way or another._

_Even still, I hope you remember that I love you more than anything, and even though I might very well take a few swings at you come the time that I actually get to visit, I hope you know that I miss you, still think the world of you, and look forward to spending time with you whenever that day finally comes._

_All my love,_

_Petra Marie Ackerman_

_..._

He had been waiting for this letter, for so long now.

The paper felt almost heavy in his hands, her written words somber and thought provoking. He had wondered for so long how she would respond to it all; what words she might recount or how she would explain herself if given the chance, and yet even still, he hadn't expected to read such a thing.

He _knew _it would happen eventually; he knew that sooner or later Petra would have to respond – but what she had said, the details she had chosen to focus on, the way she spoke of him and the things she relayed regarding why she was still in the military and _not_ at home, left him at a loss.

With a deep sigh and an equally deep frown, Levi folded the letter and shook his head.

"This is her first letter she's written to him since the wedding; she must have written it after we left the base," Erwin's voice came from across the hotel room passively, and Levi looked up toward him as the blonde continued, "I knew she'd write him eventually, and I guess the time has finally come now that she's not being run ragged with reports and research. Perhaps she's bored?"

Erwin chuckled at his own musings as he watched Levi for a few moments, not missing the fact that the Captain had yet to say a single word. Erwin smiled at his clearly pensive subordinate, nodding toward him intentionally, "The messenger hawk delivered it to me just a few hours ago. As you're aware, I issued a standing order to our mail carriers some time ago that any mail to or from Petra was to be sent to me exclusively and as a high priority, so that nothing fell through the cracks. So far I haven't gotten anything from Petra, until just now it seems."

Levi nodded at the Commander's words, and eventually Erwin continued with a more serious expression, "It didn't escape my notice that she signed her full name. Does she always do that, or was she just making a point I wonder?"

Levi shook his head, looking back down into the cream color paper lined with Petra's delicate penmanship – a letter clearly intended for her father and not him - and he made a face of uncertainty, his mind still clouded with thoughts pertaining to all she had written to her father, "I don't know. It's not like we've ever had to intercept her mail before, so your guess is as good as mine."

Another moment of silence filled the room and eventually Levi sat up in the chair and rubbed his forehead as though outright exhausted, "If I'm going with my gut on this, I'd also wager that she's intentionally making a point. If memory serves, she's not overly fond of her middle name, so for her to use it here at the end isn't mere coincidence. Besides, the whole point of the letter seems to be for the one singular task of addressing the marriage head on, so to do so would fit seamlessly with the overall spirit of the letter."

Levi looked across the room toward Erwin with a flat expression, "If she's going to start writing him like she used to before the wedding, it's going to become pretty obvious that something is up when he doesn't respond, or if his responses don't pertain to any of her previous writings."

The Commander gave an even nod, "Agreed, although one singular letter isn't cause for immediate alarm, so we'll cross that bridge if and when we need to. We'll keep at it on our end to make sure that there are no further surprises down the road; I don't want to be caught unprepared again because she was useful before and even losing her back then would have been an undeniable loss, but her skills have grown immensely since then and I don't want to lose her as an asset because she's worth the trouble if it means we keep her longer. In the meantime, hold on to her letter and we'll store it more securely once we get back to the base. Not that she searches through your things, but it would be a real pain if she found it by accident; I can't imagine that would be a pleasant conversation for you."

Levi relaxed into the back of the chair with a nod and waved the letter in his hand for slight emphasis, "Right. And how long do you plan on reviewing her mail like this? I understand why you're doing it, but good reason or not, Petra will be furious once she finds out. If you keep this from her too long, it won't be her father that she's throwing her fists at, and as a heads up, I taught her how to fight myself, so I wouldn't recommend getting her too riled up."

Erwin gave an amused, accepting sort of smile at the Captain's remark and he stood up from the wall in preparation to leave, "Hopefully not too long, just until the dust settles and the facts finally come out into light. I don't claim to have the best sense of intuition, but none the less, there's still something about it all that doesn't sit right with me, and until I'm more certain that we aren't walking blind and making unintentional mistakes, I want to tread a little more carefully when dealing with the Ral family."

Erwin took a single step toward the door and gave a look over his shoulder, "And Captain, bit of a side note, but are you going to be ready come tomorrow? The meeting from this afternoon_ was_ on the long and arduous side, but even _with_ the fact these meetings aren't up to your speed, you were still notably disengaged. I don't know if it's a matter of being distracted or what's on your mind, but I expect you to be better prepared for tomorrow, if only to intimidate others with that quiet, ice cold glare of yours."

Levi exhaled at Erwin's light correction and gave a nod, "Right. Understood, Erwin."

"Good, thank you. I'm going to take my leave for the night, head back to my room and relax a little. Hanji said she wants to review some numbers with me so I suppose I shouldn't keep her waiting."

Levi watched him flatly, "More numbers, huh? Yeah, well you two have fun with that."

Erwin chuckled and left the room without an additional remark, and Levi exhaled, setting the letter down on the nightstand beside him and finding that even though it was still early in the day, he was more than ready to get some rest. It had been a long journey, a long meeting, and being so far from the military base in a very unfamiliar environment, Levi knew full well it was going to be an even longer night.

...

* * *

End of Chapter

* * *

...

What am I doing with this vat of cornstarch, you may ask? Well as you can clearly see, I'm using it to *quirks eyebrow* thicken the plot.

*pause for effect*

No? Well…I thought it was funny haha. I don't want to delve too much into the chapter today, but hopefully it's piqued your interest. Side note - I feel like by the end of this story, I'm going have like twenty chapters titled some variation of Eld being right, because he's a mischievous guy to be sure, but he knows Petra well, and he's got a decent handle on Levi as well, so he tends to wedge himself in their business because it's just how he shows he cares.

Well, I think I'll wrap up my musings here for this week.

For those who are curious, I didn't start out talking about my beloved Cheifs because gameday was on Thursday, and while yes, we did win, it came at the cost of Mahome's knee (out for 3+ games) all for a dumb, stupid QB sneak where in the end we only got the field goal and lost the_ literal_ MVP of the NFL. So you know…that happened.

Ugh. The kingdom is in mourning. 

~Midnight


	30. The One Where Levi's still Gone

Morning everyone!

Hope everyone had an awesome week, and that you are getting refreshed and ready to bring your A game! If you didn't, if your week was subpar, difficult, or you are just kind of in a funk – trust me we've_ all_ been there, so just take it easy, rest up, be good to yourself, and get back up and slay. There is still time in this year to crush your goals, but keep it practical, one step at a time and remember that even if you're crawling, it's still forward motion! (I may or may not be preaching to myself here, haha)

This week I've_ really_ tried to focus on writing out new material because I don't want to get to a place where I ever 'catch up' and therefore am rushed, or have to swap back to every other week updates, things like that. I can't say I am hitting writers block, because amazingly enough, that hasn't been a problem for this story (praise the walls!), but UGH there is so much to write out still and it can get a bit uh, overwhelming haha. Even though I know the plot from start to finish, getting it all out on paper is a daunting task – not to mention that I continuously tweak it along the way to make sure that the material is good and there's not a lot of incongruencies that will sour your reding experience. Like these past few weeks, some of this chapter's material is brand new, some not – but more than that, I think I've written another few chapters throughout these past few weeks so that's awesome.

Yall pray for my sanity.

...

* * *

...

"Alright, now Petra," Eld called out loudly, a serious expression across his face as they moved through the trees in a coordinated fashion and neared a large Titan cutout, "Swing around to the left and scout ahead. Oluo, go for the feet and follow behind Petra as her backup. This is a sweeping formation, so don't lose your momentum and keep moving forward until I say otherwise."

Petra and Oluo gave a nod, moving as instructed and jetting ahead through the trees, Petra choosing a path that would have kept her unscathed and in the Titan's relative blind spot, Oluo starting from the left and sweeping to the right as his blades cut through the pads that represented the Titan's achilleas tendon, ensuring that he moved far enough that should an actual Titan fall to the ground, he wouldn't be crushed in the aftermath.

Watching as his teammates moved ahead without delay, Oluo gave a nod and looked to his left where Gunther was moving alongside him, "Gunther, I'll dip down and go for the nape; you watch my back."

Eld continued commanding the team, adjusting the formation as Levi had instructed, focusing on areas mainly relating to initiative and spontaneity. Apparently, it seemed that Petra's data was showing a rising trend in that Squad Levi wasn't as efficient at following immediate, unexpected orders as they had been in the past; their reaction times somewhat dulled and stagnant after months of running the same exact formation that now felt more of a _routine_ than an actual battle technique, and Levi had confirmed that he wanted the behavior addressed and corrected in full by the time he got back, because _gods help them all_ if it wasn't.

Levi had left behind a sort of laundry list that would challenge the team's ability to seamlessly follow orders and respond to the unexpected; intentionally keeping them on their toes and forcing them in a position where they had to listen to Eld's commands and respond on the fly because, not so coincidentally, Levi had left an equally long list of punishments for those who couldn't surpass his prerecorded metrics that would confirm the squad's adjusted behavior. Thus far no one on the team had met the Captain's steep expectations, and as a result, training was grueling and miserable because once their actual training for the day was completed, there was an additional hour or two of miserable tasks comprised of conditioning or cleaning that served as _'incentive' _to curve their behavior, and quickly.

Levi had made it clear that he wasn't certain how long he would be gone, anywhere from two days to two weeks, so he had left a large stack of chores and drills in his wake, a mix of footwork, speed cadences; practically an all-out variety show of material so it seemed. There were exercises on horseback, tasks to complete while running, high volumes of conditioning, even an exercise that required Eld to wake them up for an impromptu training session at three a.m – something he was _not _looking forward to implementing considering the team was comprised of notably grouchy risers that would be less than pleasant after being torn out for bed for unexpected, fast paced training.

It wasn't much later that their training with the 3DM gear had come to a close, and Eld had corralled them to the supply station so they could return their unneeded gas tanks and equipment, and while they were there, pick up weighted sand bags that they would haul on a long and exhaustive walk per the Captain's decree.

While no one was overly thrilled with the idea of balancing large grain bags of sand over their shoulders in the blistering summer heat, they knew their exercises were finally coming to a close, and rather than complain, the squad merely accepted their fate and started grabbing the large burlap sacks – tossing one over each shoulder- as they prepared to walk the required laps as directed, quite eager to bring the exercise to an end.

It was as they were preparing for the walk and Eld was signing off on the equipment, writing down the times and how much gas was used in the squad's training for the day, that his eyes fell on Petra – who was _also _now carrying two weighted bags, and he exhaled, already exhausted from the battle he was hoping not to have had, "Um Petra, no. I'm sorry but that's too heavy for you. Put one down because each bag is fifty pounds and just the one is more than enough for you. Just because you can balance two on your shoulders doesn't mean it's safe. Two miles in and you'll be right on track to seriously hurt yourself."

The group paused at Eld's callout, both Oluo and Gunther giving Petra a curious look but inwardly relieved that Eld had made the mention because they had all been thinking the same thing, and Petra groaned at the unwanted callout. She turned to give Eld a dirty look, because she was still mad at him for his stunt just the other day of giving his unsolicited, _unwanted_ opinion about her relationship with Levi, and she didn't need his damned two cents about _this_ either, "Whatever you guys are carrying, I should be too. We're on the same squad and held to the same standards. I don't need you babying me Eld; it's fine so just lay off." She turned back toward the path and gave a huff as she took a few more steps toward her teammates as though to demonstrate that she was just fine.

Eld rolled his eyes at her stubbornness and moved toward her with an irritated glare, "_Really_ Petra? We're seriously going to play the, you're not my _real _Captain, game? I don't _care_ if Levi's not here,_ I'm_ telling you that you're carrying too much weight and you need to respect that because I'm_ not_ allowing any injuries on my watch while the Captain is away."

Regardless Eld's orders, Petra merely stalled in place and adjusted the weight over her shoulders with a sort of groan, her glare only intensifying at Eld's refusal to just drop the matter and let her do as she pleased. She clicked her tongue and turned toward him with a challenging expression, "Eld, what's so wrong with wanting to challenge myself and grow stronger? It's just one single exercise and if I get sore or tense, that's _my_ fault. Besides, I'm sure Captain would be fine with it."

Eld gave her an unimpressed stare and grabbed a piece of paper out of his pocket, reading from it with a tone of exasperation, "You think so, huh? Tell me what you make of this then – 'Eld, complete the day's training with an endurance walk while carrying sandbags – hundred pounds for the men, fifty for Petra, same as usual. She may end up giving you grief and try to convince you to let her pack on more weight, however with her frame, anything more than fifty pounds will stress her body too much and is_ not_ to be permitted under any circumstances. In the event that she complains about it, finish your exercises and assign her ten laps for insubordination and disrespecting the chain of command. If she persistently troubles you, see that I'm made aware upon my return, and I'll ensure that proper punishment is doled out to her at that time.'"

There was a haughty grumble from Oluo, "Oh-ho _punishment_, huh? Is _that_ what they're calling it then?" and Gunther snorted in amusement as they waited for the scuffle to settle.

Opening her mouth in offense to Oluo's unneeded stupid comment, Petra was prepared to turn around and confront him, but Eld cleared his throat sternly, "The extra weight, Petra? Put it down." As Petra's heated glare fell right back onto him, his expression softened and there was a sudden shadow of a smirk on his lips as he folded the paper back into his pocket, "Come on Petra, don't make me _tattle _on you."

Petra clicked her tongue at Eld's 'request' that was indeed a gently worded command, admittedly embarrassed by being called out by both him and in some ways, the Captain himself, considering his stupid little love note to Eld. She wasn't sure if she was more impressed, or just flat out irritated that Levi had thought down to such minute details, to the extent that he was apparently _expecting_ her to cause trouble for Eld while he was away.

The blonde sighed lightly, "Look, if you drop it now, I'll cut you a break and_ not_ rat you out to the Captain, but only with the understanding that you drop the bad attitude and realize that no one here thinks you're weak just because we're hauling more _sand_ around than you. Frankly, we're just built differently, Petra. Don't forget that you're faster and can do maneuvers the rest of us can only dream of due to your size and flexibility, and that's just all part of the game. So we can lift more than you, big deal. Stop sulking because no one is the best at everything so-"

Again Oluo snorted, and he spoke up over Eld's present explanation, "Well, that's only partially true. I mean, Captain – Captain_ is_ best at everything. It's been proven even. Have you _seen_ his numbers, Petra? And shit, he's _just _as short as you, but faster, and even _stronger_ than we are so-"

Eld sent a warning glare over his shoulder, "Hey. Not helping, jackass."

"Oh. Right. I'm just saying is all…"

Trying to ignore Oluo's again unneeded commentary, Petra took a breath and finally nodded toward the ground, walking back to the supply station and putting the additional weight down with a humbled tilt of her head, "Alright, fine. There, I put it back. You happy?"

"I am, thank you." Eld didn't press the matter further and looked back to his remaining comrades as he shifted his own weighty bags across his shoulders with a grunt, "Damn, I hate these stupid things. Let's all get this over with. What's more, and I hate to tell you guys this, but surprise surprise, we didn't meet Levi's demands today either, so we've got more work after this as well."

There were some unimpressed groans and Eld gave a miserable nod, "Silver lining though, it's not the worst – seems Levi is aware that today's training was hard enough without the extra work, either that or he was _expecting_ us to fail. Damage today is running three and a half miles, then a series of admittedly rather_ brutal_ lunges, but that's actually it."

"That's it, he says, like it's so damn easy." Oluo retorted with a sigh, a bite of sarcasm in his voice, "Yeah, after walking around the _entire _campus carrying a hundred pounds, well, only fifty for Petra-" Oluo amended, and Petra rolled her eyes irritably, "We have to run a considerable distance with damn_ jelly_ legs, and then do a regimen of squats to follow? Fuck this shit, silver lining my ass."

Petra pressed her lips together and sighed, "Oluo, stop bitching about it; you're not helping in the least. Besides, it's not _that_ bad."

"Yeah? Easy for _you_ to say," he scoffed under his breath as they continued moving down the dirt path step by miserable step, "You're only carrying _half _of what the rest of us are."

Petra's head snapped toward Oluo waspishly, and she gave him a murderous glare, "Fucking say it again! Say that I'm not working as hard as the rest of you, one more time._ See_ what fucking happens."

There was a chuckle from Eld, who watched the bickering pair in a sort of devilish amusement and nodded as though outright antagonizing the pair, "Oh, by all means Oluo, keep at it. Gunther and I have a long outstanding bet in need of settling, and I've got twenty down on Petra saying that she could kick your ass."

Petra turned toward the blonde and glared, "Is that so? Well keep _that _up and we'll just see who's ass I end up kicking. It's _your _fault that I have to hear it from Oluo at all; had you just shut your damn mouth I'd be carrying the same weight and he wouldn't be giving me shit right now, so you'll have to settle your stupid bet with Gunther later."

She looked toward Gunther and frowned darkly, "And for real Gunther? You really think Oluo would come out on top, with how damn slow he is? Please. If you wanted to line Eld's pocket that badly, you could have saved me the trouble and just given him the money directly, _without_ your stupid wager."

Oluo grinned, "Oh? You say you can beat me? The one with the highest solo kill record on the team? And remind me again, Petra, yours is the lowest, right? Not surprising, I mean, you are only holding just the _fifty _pounds after all."

"That is fucking it!" Petra shouted, though there was a sharp, 'Hey!' from Eld that caused her to not outright throttle her smirking teammate who was clearly goading her on purpose.

Eld's previous light expression fell, "Gods, you are all such a pain in the ass today. Would it really be too much trouble to ask you all to behave, like you would if Captain were actually here? I get he's not, but still. Look guys, I'm not trying to play this card or rub it in, but if you would all try to remember that I _am_ a higher rank so-"

At the same time, the rest of the Squad groaned and looked at Eld crossly, Oluo rolling his eyes dramatically as he spoke, "Oh _gods_, don't start with _that_ again." he groaned dramatically, and Gunther nodded in clear agreement.

"You're a higher rank on paper, but in practice you still act like a child; always goading people and pulling pranks on everyone - when are you going to grow up? Not that_ I'd_ want the extra responsibility mind you, but why Levi chose you as his right-hand man is absurd."

Eld's eyes narrowed as he looked at his frustrated, angry peers and bitterly looked at the path ahead, "Well aren't you guys just the friendliest lot out there. Thanks for the encouragement, assholes. You know, if Captain heard you talking like this, he'd beat the shit out of you."

"_And_ you." Petra stated simply with a sudden smirk of her own, "He'd correct us to be sure, but frankly, he'd say that most of it was _your_ fault for not issuing enough 'pain' or whatever to make us fall in line."

There was a chuckle from Oluo at Petra's correction, and he found himself correcting_ her_ even further, "Well he'd _start_ there, give us all a good beating in the name of 'discipline', and then we'd no doubt have to scrub the floors with a damn_ toothbrush_ again or something."

"Yeah, and if it's anything like last time, it will probably be our _own_ toothbrush." Gunther added in with an amused shake of his head.

At Gunther's sort of confession, Petra made a face and looked at the men in silent horror, "Woah woah wait…am I missing something here? Captain never _actually_ made you do that, right?"

When there was a long silence and an eventual, hesitant shrug came from Oluo, and Petra snorted dramatically at the silent confirmation, "For real? That's _disgusting!_ The hell did you guys do to piss him off so bad? I wasn't a part of this apparently – I have no idea what you're talking about!"

A few glances were exchanged, and Eld shook his head with an amused chuckle, "_Long _time ago Petra. Levi had just selected us to start off his new squad; he hadn't officially had a team before then so it was new to everybody. Naturally, we really didn't know him any more than by sheer reputation. One day after training, it had been raining pretty bad so we were muddy and drenched and so when it came time to go back to the Compound-"

"_No_." Petra stated with wide eyes, fearing where the story was going, and Eld could only laugh because if only they had known then what they knew now.

"Yep. We walked right inside, muddy boots and dripping water – tracked mud and grime down the halls, into the bathroom, whole nine yards. Truth be told, I don't think it was actual _anger _we saw that night, I think it was more of a well disguised _panic_ attack. Needless to say, he made _quite_ an impression on us all after that, and we learned that Levi is a…pretty touchy guy. Really quirky."

Petra was laughing heartily at the story, and a sort of sigh was heard from Gunther as their atmosphere shifted from previous anger to a sudden wistfulness.

A long silence fell across the walking team, and eventually Oluo looked toward his teammates with a light, almost sad smile, "Honestly, it's been kinda_ weird_ without him around."

"Yeah," Gunther agreed with an amused nod, "Kinda boring. Either of you know when he's getting back, Eld? Petra?"

For a moment, nothing more could be heard other than their collective footsteps down the dirt path. Eld looked back toward his peers and rolled his shoulders underneath the weight, "While I doubt he'll be gone this long, he gave me a full two weeks of material, so for all I know, he could be getting back today, or another full week. He wasn't to specific with me, said that the government is the one calling the shots so they'll be at their mercy for the time being. You have any better ideas, Petra?"

She made a face and merely shook her head, truly having no better idea when Levi would be getting back, but like the group, or perhaps even more than the group, feeling the void that his presence had left behind in their group dynamic.

She found herself looking down the path – the path that was used to get to and from the Scout's base – where Levi would eventually be returning, and she gave a half-hearted, disappointed smile as she noted that the path was completely empty. She hadn't actually thought Levi would be there, after all what were the chances of that _actually_ happening, and yet even still, there was a sinking feeling in her stomach from the undeniable disappointment because apparently, some part of her had still been hoping.

From beside her, there was an almost inaudible sort of chuckle from Eld, and Petra realized in sudden embarrassment that her wistful glance had been _noticed_ by the blonde, and at first she had intended to give him a dirty glare. She wanted to tell him off or wordlessly communicate that she was done with his stupid games, and yet as her mind kept replaying all the differences the past few days had brought; the unsorted training, the unchecked squabbles, the lack of his sudden appearances that all but came out of no where considering he was so quiet, the lack of life in his office - the sheer lack of _Levi_ himself…

Petra's gaze dropped to the ground instead, and she sighed.

Pathetic or not, she couldn't deny the churning in her stomach and the sudden slowness to her steps as she thought about yet another lonely night in his empty, quiet office - she missed him.

.

* * *

.

There was a knock on the office door, and Petra gave a slight twitch of her head, barely looking up from the desk as she spoke, "Come in."

The door lightly creaked open and Eld leaned in through the open crack before stepping inside fully, closing the door behind himself as he spoke, "Well well, you've certainly made yourself at home here; you're even sitting in the Captain's chair. Not gunning for his job, are you?"

Petra looked up from her paperwork, if only to acknowledge that she had heard him, before returning back to the document in front of her and responding with a quipped tone, "Captain hasn't been around to keep his paperwork in order and it so happens that I don't mind the work. It gives me something to do."

Eld said nothing to this and Petra pressed her lips together, not trying to be overly conversational or cordial with him; preferring that he get to the point so she could get back to work without distraction. "What do you need Eld? Considering you're a higher rank than me and can submit your own requests, I'd have to assume this is a personal visit, and frankly-" she looked up at him squarely, "I'm not in the mood."

Eld gave a simple shrug, crossing his arms as he walked further into the room, "You're _still _mad? Petra, this isn't like you. It's been five days since our conversation and even when you were mad at_ Levi_ you didn't treat him this coldly."

Petra set her pen down silently and watched him flatly with a quirked eyebrow in a manner that reminded him very much of the aforementioned Captain. Eld bit back a grin as he watched her - they really _had_ been spending a lot of time together, and it showed. Her attitude was darker, her patience thinner, and the trademark scowl across her face was an uncanny replica.

"Levi is unpleasant unintentionally,_ you_ are not." She stated simply, "You know how you come across, you know how to be respectful and not cross lines, and-"

"Stop. You were mad at first because I pushed your buttons, so your anger _then _was fair – but _now_ you're only mad at me because you don't like the fact that I got your brain spinning, and you're just being childish and taking it out on me." He watched as her scowl only darkened and he withheld a smirk, "You didn't want to think about it because you_ liked_ the comfortable place you found yourself in."

Petra pushed herself back into the chair, crossing her arms as she slouched in a sort of pout while watching him testingly, "And? What's so wrong with that?"

Eld gave an innocent shrug and watched her with a muted hint of smugness as he sat down in a chair, daring to lean back into the chair and prop his feet up on the edge of the Captain's desk as he responded casually, "Oh, there's nothing wrong with that. After all, if you're as happy as you _say_ you are, then all the extra thought and brooding isn't something to be afraid of. The only time it would become an issue is if after thought, you came to realize that you _weren't_ as content as you previously thought?"

Petra gaped and made a face of irritation, though Eld couldn't be sure if it was because of what he had said, or if it was because his feet were resting up on the desk so brazenly. She swatted at his shoes with her hand as she sat up straighter, "Get your feet off the desk you neanderthal, Captain would _kill _you if he saw you doing that!"

She came around the desk hurriedly and Eld rolled his eyes as he set his feet back on the floor. Petra looked at the surface of the desk critically, rubbing the spot where his boots had been resting in hopes that he didn't leave any incriminating smudges, "If you scuff it up he's going to think it was _me_! Can you show a _little_ more respect, sheesh! And to your point, yes – you made me think, and I'm angry because-"

"Because now you have to do something about it." Eld finished for her, and Petra gave a long, low sigh as she slowly stood up and turned so she was looking at him directly. As she merely stared at him in an irritated sort of dissatisfaction, Eld held his hands up in defeat as the silence elongated, "Okay, okay. I _get_ you're upset, but this doesn't have to be the end of the world. So you know that you want things to keep moving forward, right? Not a big deal."

Petra said nothing to this, though she didn't have to. Eld gave her a nod of confirmation in attempts to set her mind at ease, "So _you_ set the pace._ You_ find what you're comfortable with and talk with him when you're ready. I know you were more comfortable before, but it's not like you to play it safe. And now that you know, you can be a little more intentional and maybe…" Eld gave her a coy smile and shrugged, "Maybe he'll take you by surprise."

Petra tried to give him a narrowed stare, but her expression softened at his words as he continued to watch her warmly. He gave a chuckle at how hard she was fighting the urge to smile, and he gave her a side hug in attempts to finally break her, "Look. I only meddle because I care, okay?"

She gave a groan of defeat and begrudgingly returned his embrace, and Eld cleared his throat as he stood up fully, "What's more, I actually have a present for you, to make it up to you."

"Don't be silly Eld, you didn't have to get me anything."

Regardless her words, Eld didn't miss when her eyes lit up and she began to look him over with a sort of excitement, a slight confusion coming to her face when he didn't reach into his jacket or pocket to produce any sort of trinket for her.

He gave a laugh at her obvious enthusiasm, "Alright alright, it's not in here. Come on."

He walked toward the door and Petra followed after him with a spring in her step, seeming to forget about her anger when promised a surprise or gift. Childish or not, it wasn't often that she was gifted with things and she was admittedly excited. She knew it wouldn't be anything of actual value as there was no way Eld had the time to go into town to buy her anything – she was thinking perhaps stored chocolate, or maybe flowers he had picked from outside, or some other small something he had picked out with her in mind.

Petra moved toward the door and grabbed the handle, looking over her shoulder as she spoke, "What is it? Is it in your room or the Common-"

Her words came to a sudden and abrupt halt as she took a few steps out into the hall and collided into –

"L-Levi?" she stammered in alarm as she looked up toward…yes, it _was _Levi. When…when had they gotten back? She looked up into the Captain's also considerably wide and equally surprised eyes and felt a heat rise to her face due to their sudden and unexpected proximity. Due to the way she had blindly walked forward and somewhat _tripped_ at the sudden obstacle he was, she was pressed up against his chest; his hands wrapped around her forearms securely as a result. Whether it was to stop her from falling further or to merely hold her against him, she couldn't be sure, but there was an amused exhale that sounded like the beginnings of a laugh that left his lungs as they both recovered from their initial surprise of literally running into each other.

"Hello, Petra." he said simply in a whisper, admittedly flabbergasted as he certainly hadn't been expecting her to come flying out of his office and ram right into him, though he supposed he wasn't necessarily complaining. Eld had told him to come to his office after he put his things away because apparently he had a document that he needed him to fill out as soon as possible, and while he had been _hoping_ to run into Petra before he had to resume his duties as Captain, he supposed that he could always find her afterward. After all, what was another few hours when he had been gone for over a week?

Even still…he should have _known_ she would have been in his office. Where else would she be?

Eld made his way out of the room next and gave a nod toward the Captain, having already known that Leadership had returned not so long ago. It was as Petra looked between the two men for a moment, admittedly baffled, that she slowly looked back toward Eld, giving a suspicious, questioning point of her fingers, "Wait…_Levi?_"

_That _was her surprise?

Well, she had to admit, she _was _surprised, and pleasantly so.

At her silent question, Eld looked back toward Levi and gave a dramatic frown as looked the Captain up and down in sudden alarm and irritation, "Dammit all, he looked so _different _in the catalog. I'm sorry Petra; duped again by those greedy corporate bastards. I really thought he'd be taller!"

Levi blinked in confusion, having _no_ idea what Eld was talking about, but before he could get out a single word to ask what the hell he was going on about, Petra was laughing hysterically, actually holding her stomach she was laughing so hard.

Levi frowned suspiciously at their apparent inside joke, "Am I missing something, Eld?"

There was no response to his question, unless Eld's own raucous laughter counted as a response, and Levi crossed his arms with a scowl, "Well while you dumbasses laugh it up, I'm going in my office." As he walked past the laughing pair and made his way into the room, he called out over his shoulder, "Oi, Petra. What paperwork needs to be finished?"

There was a response from her, though it was difficult to make out between her giggles, "Just the…just the one on the…pfft, on the desk!"

She kept laughing all the more, and Levi rolled his eyes, still having _no _idea what the hell was so damn funny, but not wanting to pick a fight considering he had just gotten back a mere ten minutes ago. He called out over the laughter, "Just this one?"

"Yeah!"

The two kept snickering and from outside his office, Petra had somewhat leaned onto Eld in attempts to keep herself upright, wiping a tear out of her eye before finally finding her footing and standing up properly. She cleared her throat and gave a joyful exhale, attempting to sober her expression even though she knew full well there was still a dumb grin across her face.

Eld mussed her hair with a final laugh, "There we go, _that's_ the Petra I know and love; laughter is the best medicine after all. Still though, it figures all it would take is the _Captain_ coming back for you to be all smiles like this."

From inside the office, Levi gave a hint of a smile at Eld's comment, though remained silent and allowed their conversation to continue semi-privately.

Petra batted Eld's hand away with a cheeky grin, fixing her hair and motioning toward the office with a tilt of her head, "You knew he was coming?"

Eld shrugged with a knowing expression and crossed his arms, "I _may_ have sent him this way, though I didn't think you'd run the poor man over. You really should watch where you're going next time."

A firm 'Agreed.' came from within the confines of the Captain's office, and Petra gave a small laugh in response.

Eld grinned all the more and gave her a nudge as he watched her smugly, "So, did you enjoy your surprise?"

Petra looked into the office and stole a peek toward the Captain, who merely looked at her suspiciously as though to ask what the hell they were talking about. She gave a silent laugh and shook her head, speaking to Eld even though her gaze remained elsewhere, a sort of warmness to her tone as she watched her Captain fondly, "…I didn't know they would be getting back today. It's been so weird with him being gone."

Eld nodded, then gave a suddenly pensive look as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully, leaning down toward Petra as he gave a dark smirk, "Don't think I should send him back? Try to get a refund or something?"

Petra gave a hearty chuckle and shook her head as she returned Eld's gaze. Her voice was quiet, quiet enough that she knew Levi wouldn't be able to overhear her hushed secrets. She bit her inner lip in attempts to keep her smile at bay, knowing she was grinning like an idiot, but even still the bright smile refused to leave her face. "Nah, no need. I'm already pretty attached to that one."

Eld's voice was also more quiet and he leaned down as he placed both hands over her shoulder to whisper in her ear, "Oh, is that so? Then go_ get_ him, or maybe I _will _try my wine trick."

He gave her an actual_ shove_ into the open doorway and Petra gave a sort of surprised squeak as she stumbled forward. Eld walked away casually without another word, as though he hadn't just set them up with the intention of leaving them to their own devices, barely able to hold back his laughter as he silently retreated down the hall and feeling rather proud of himself.

...

* * *

End of Chapter

* * *

...

Tell me, am I the only person who reads this and sort of just sighs in relief, because sure we wonder what's going to happen next but…sorta it's all good now, because Levi is back? Where I ended up having to write so much new material is that I never really_ filled_ the time while Levi was away – never painted the picture of the staleness, the lack of drive, and the strange level of passion that is brought by Levi alone.

In my original docs, it was pretty much built up that he'll be gone, it's a big deal, but apparently _not really_ because he's already back so moving on. After rereading this arc, I reworked it in its entirety because I really wanted to slow it down and paint the picture that as quiet as he is, as much as he struggles to build bridges with people, Levi has a _definite_ place on the squad, and things really _are_ better in every way when he's around. His absence was noticed, his presence was missed, and sure his squad can still kick butt and take names without him breathing down their necks, but they _function_ better together and legitimately want him around.

Those are my thoughts for this week. I'll keep grinding out new idea and quality content for you guys, so keep commenting, keep challenging me with your views and thoughts, and we'll plow down this story one section at a time. Thanks for everything yall, and see you next Sunday!

~Midnight


	31. The One In Levi's Office

Hey yall!

Isn't this insane – we have officially moved into the holiday season. Halloween was just a few days ago, Thanksgiving is coming up, then all the December holidays and New Years – holy cheese and crackers yall, it's getting real! I love Christmas, and what's more, I'm not really a big Thanksgiving person myself – so all that to say we got our tree put up yesterday, hung up all the stockings and the lights. I've got my Christmas music on rotation again and we've been drinking wassail…

Gosh I love this time of year!

Hopefully Halloween was awesome for yall, we got to take the small one out to a few festivals and trunk or treating events and he loved that, so that was a lot of fun as well. In terms of writing, I have slowed down this week and done a bit more editing and cleaning up of later sections, and let me just say, on my end of the screen with where I am in the plot – things are also getting real. Super stoked for yall come the time that you get to read what I'm writing now. You'll LOVE it!

But. Onto the update!

…

* * *

...

Standing in the doorway for a moment to try and collect her thoughts, Petra cleared her throat and smoothed her shirt self-consciously, moving further into the room and debating whether she wanted to sit down beside him at his desk, or remain standing and converse with him that way.

"Uh…how was your trip?" she asked as she moved toward him, choosing to stand in front of it rather than take a seat beside him, feeling a bit more free in her mobility.

The Captain's expression didn't change, and he continued writing just the same, "It was loud. Four eyes doesn't know when to shut up and it's been a week of listening to her run her mouth about fucking everything. Don't know how Erwin can stand it; you'd think he would have sewn her damn mouth _shut _by now."

Petra gave a smile and shrugged, "Well she wouldn't be able to theorize about the Titans anymore, I imagine that may be a part of it."

"She could still _write_ just fine." He mumbled bitterly and Petra laughed at his dark retort.

"Captain…" Petra gave him a correcting smile, and Levi said nothing, falling silent and continuing his work in silence.

Petra pressed her lips together, then gave an exhale as she watched him hopefully. "So uh…the meeting." she stated simply, allowing her voice to trail off so Levi could pick up at any time.

He gave a nod and continued writing without so much as missing a beat, "I can't talk about it."

Petra groaned and rolled her head back against her neck, crossing her arms in dismay as she rocked back into her heels, "Really? Shoot. I was hoping that maybe considering the circumstances you might be able to. But…I understand. Damn it. Eld said it might end up being a classified meeting so I knew I shouldn't get my hopes up, but still…"

Levi looked up from his desk and watched her attempts at being respectful even though it was obvious she was thoroughly disappointed. He corrected her as his gaze lingered on her for a slight moment as he spoke, "I said that _I _can't talk about it, not that you couldn't know _at all_. Erwin wants to tell you about it directly, so you'll just have to wait for him to summon you. I don't think he'll keep you waiting too long either, knowing him. Give him a few hours to settle in and he'll send some lackey after you so he can go over the details."

Petra's expression brightened at his explanation and she gave a chipper nod, "Oh! Okay then, great!"

Levi shook his head at her newly brightened expression and watched her flatly, "Look at that smile. Are you really _that_ excited to find out what happened?"

Petra blushed and looked to the floor for a moment before stealing a small glance back toward the Captain, "Well that's part of it. I'm also happy that…_you're_ back." She admitted quietly with a shy smile, not admitting anything that the Captain wasn't already aware of considering their previous interaction with Eld a mere moment ago.

She continued, "I get you have things to do, but I dunno, I guess I'm used to you being here and it puts me on edge when you're not. So now that you're back, it just makes me smile."

Levi watched her for a long moment and instead of acknowledging her more personal, tender statement, he instead shook his head as a huff of an exhale left him, "Must be great being you, what with you always getting your way and everything."

Petra rolled her eyes and nodded haughtily at his guise of being casual, knowing that the smile on his lips wasn't entirely a result of his sudden mocking, "Oh sure, always getting my way – and what's that supposed to mean?"

Levi smirked as he stared down into his desk, enjoying their sudden turn of conversation because it had been almost a full week since he had seen her, and even if he didn't want to say it out loud, Petra wasn't the only one that was perhaps a little…giddy to be back in the other's presence. He gave a shrug, "It means you're spoiled as hell; you damn brat. You complain that I'm gone and then grin like a complete dumbass the second I walk through the door, and let's not forget that you actually_ get_ to hear the meeting details. I'll have you know that it_ is_ in fact classified information that's not even permitted to most Officers, and yet Erwin's making an exception for _you_ specifically." Levi shook his head and grumbled, "I swear, it's like you've never been told no in your whole damn life."

Petra laughed at his assessment, and she shook her head in denial, "Yeah, pretty sure_ you_ of all people would know that's not true Levi."

Though she had meant her words as a jab at his position as her Commanding Officer – referring to the orders he had given her over the years that had irked her, the cleaning he had assigned as acts of discipline, as well as the various requests she had made for either supplies or time off that he had denied – when his expression changed to one of admitted surprise, she knew he had taken her words to refer to a _different_ sort of rejection that he had been responsible for, and she found she was at a loss for words.

She supposed that was accurate too, but…

As the silence thickened, Petra replayed Eld's words in her head and tried to bolster her courage. If things were _going_ to go that direction on their own accord, then she supposed that now was as good a time as any. She looked over her shoulder toward the open office door, wondering if she should close it behind her or not, but deciding against it because that would make things even more serious and she really didn't want their conversation to take an awkward turn considering he had just gotten back.

"Hey uh, Levi…" she felt her stomach do a nervous flip as he watched her with a questioning glance, seemingly aware of the sudden unease she watched him with, and she gave a shrug in attempts to at least _appear_ casual, "I was thinking while you were gone and…"

She trailed off, finding that she really didn't know what to say. Levi stared at her for a long while, and when her thoughts merely became a jumbled mess as a result, she gave a frustrated sigh. Eld had encouraged her to tell Levi what she wanted – told her that things weren't progressing between them because she wasn't communicating and try as they may, their current casual relationship couldn't last forever. To some extent, she had discovered that she actually _agreed_, it was just…now that she had his attention, she really didn't know what to say or how to go about saying it.

Levi gave a slow nod as she remained just as quiet and when she still didn't say anything, he picked his pen back up and returned to his document, "Right. While you do that…"

He began writing again and Petra groaned in dismay. She took a step closer toward his desk insistently, "No! Look, just hear me out. I know that we don't really, you know…_talk_ too much about these things…" she mumbled as her thoughts continued to swarm in her head, finding that she wasn't as ready as she would have liked for this sort of conversation, but knowing just the same that it needed to happen.

"But you know, you _are_ my husband."

"Only on paper." Levi stated simply – a mere force of habit more than an actual response, and Petra nodded as she also continued undaunted.

"Right, only on paper – _Unless._"

The Captain's eyebrows furrowed at her addendum and for a moment he stopped writing altogether, proof that her words had reached him, though he recovered after a split second and the conversation continued just the same. "Unless." He repeated evenly and again Petra nodded, this time beginning to pace in front of his desk, a habit he noticed she used in attempts to sort her thoughts or brainstorm some abstract theory of hers into something more concrete and tangible.

Well…this should be interesting, he thought to himself and continued to write in silence.

Petra walked back and forth across the expanse of his office, not seeming to realize that most of her previous words were still making very little sense. None the less, he allowed her to continue, curious as to what she was getting at or what she was potentially leading to and admittedly amused by her antics.

"The best way to address these things is communication, right? Granted I don't really know how _I_ feel about it, but they say stagnant waters run deep or something like that, which is very applicable in our case I would say. We just have to set new rules or find what works. So uh…" Petra paused from her pacing and looked toward him expectantly, "So what do _you_ think?"

Levi shook his head casually and flipped the page over, exhaling through his nose as Petra watched him for a response. He responded evenly, "I have no fucking idea what you're talking about because as usual," he stole a glance up toward her and smirked, "You're making no damn sense. Now, what can I _help_ you with, Petra?"

She frowned at his go to response and sighed, still struggling to find whatever words she needed to communicate her thoughts to him. She chewed her lip and gave a weak shrug, "I'm just saying…We could always you know, maybe, test that a little?"

"Test _what_, exactly?" he looked back toward his paper and continued writing, barely able to see her from his peripheral vision as he continued to fill the form out dutifully.

From the corner of his eye he watched as Petra's face began to turn a light pink shade, "This." She motioned between them, and her voice lost even more of its confidence as she spoke, "Have you thought about trying to talk about it or maybe explain your thoughts regarding where this is going?"

While her question surprised him, he could only smirk at the sheer irony of her words, "Have _you_?"

He now understood the _type_ of conversation Petra was attempting to have with him, but he still wasn't able to fully grasp what she was wanting from him, considering that her statements were all over the place – likely a result of her own indecision, he wagered. A long pause fell over the room as Petra seemed to debate with herself further, and she finally gave a nod and looked up toward him in resolve.

"I think we need to change our tactics." She stated with a sudden bout of confidence, and Levi held back a chuckle.

He continued writing the correct numbers in the data table, answering the questions listed as he indulged her statement, amused all the more at her sudden self-assured declaration but ensuring his reaction was kept minimal so he didn't sway her thoughts one way or another. "Oh? And what did you have in mind, sunsets and conversation no doubt?"

Petra looked toward him directly and shook her head with resolve, "No. I think…I think we should have sex."

Levi blinked in outright surprise and gave a _painfully_ dry cough as the air left his lungs rather forcefully, falling perfectly still as her words lingered in the air because there was no way he had heard her right.

He…what, _what _did she say?

Did she_ really_ just?

Though she had stated her words clear as a bell and with a confidence that left him mentally sputtering, he just couldn't wrap his mind around what she had actually just_ said_ to him – in broad day light, with his office door fucking _wide open_ for anyone to hear…

_What the actual fucking hell?_

He refused to look at her as he frantically sorted through his thoughts, trying to mentally dismiss her words because of all the conversations he was expecting to have with her, of all the routes her words could take, of everything he had planned on discussing with her about his thoughts on their boundaries and expectations, perhaps outcomes he was prepared to explore…this was _not_ one of them.

"No." he stated coolly, his tone of voice surprisingly calm, resonating with a control and resolve that he didn't actually feel, and he forced himself to resume his previous task and not let his thoughts linger on her words or show her that she_ had_ in fact, caught him off guard – and very much so.

Petra crossed her arms, seemingly not convinced by his calm bravado, and watched him expectantly with a growing sense of irritation, "Why not? You are my _husband _after all so it's only natural that-"

He shook his head, eager for the conversation to come to an end because he didn't want to lose his composure and say, or do something stupid. He had been back for a mere twenty minutes and of all the things he thought he would be doing before he returned to duty…_Petra_ was not one of them!

"Woman, I said no. I don't know where this is coming from all of the sudden, but it's a bad idea. We both agreed that we didn't want to be romantically involved and that our getting married was more of a means to an end – that's what you agreed to and I intend to hold you to that."

Petra watched him for a long moment as though carefully picking her words – a dangerous thing considering Petra was considerably formidable in a battle of wits when she wanted to be - and she finally responded with a certain degree of cautious, intentional testing to her voice. She watched him critically, and he found he was slightly apprehensive to hear what she would in fact say after taking a moment to prepare her words.

"Alright. So if not _you_ then…am I correct in presuming that it would be a problem if I started pursuing after perhaps…_other _men for that sort of _fulfillment_?"

The way she spoke, the way her words rolled off her tongue so calmly, the mere thought of her being with someone else -_ that_ grabbed his attention, and fast.

Levi looked up from his paperwork in outright warning, watching her seriously with an unamused and dark expression, "Yes, that would be a fucking 'problem' damn it." he stated sharply with a bite of tension, "Legally speaking you are my wife, and as such I will not disrespect you by being with, nor pursuing after other women. I didn't think I would even _have_ to say this, but for the fucking record, I expect that same decency from _you_ in return."

She inwardly smiled at the sudden seriousness and ferocity that he watched her with. It seemed that the mere _mention_ of her seeking after some other man's attention angered him, _greatly_, so it seemed.

_Good._

She nodded casually, "That's fair. And don't worry Levi, I wouldn't ever do such a thing so don't dwell on it. I just wanted to make sure that I wasn't wrong in my thought process before I made any claims based off an assumption. So – for the record of course - if_ you_ can't be with other women, and _I _can't be with other men, and if you are officially stating that we can't be with_ each other _then…"

He quirked an eyebrow, feeling she was finally leading to whatever point she was trying to make, and Petra watched him with a hint of a smirk, shrugging innocently as she started at him pointedly, "You mean to tell me that you're _never_ going to have sex again, not even _once_, for the _rest of your life_?"

Levi could feel the base of his neck heat up, being taken off guard by her well-made point – something he wasn't prepared to speak to in the least as Petra was so easily embarrassed - and he was suddenly very grateful for his high collar and cravat that would hide his flushed skin. He could monitor his facial reactions well enough, but something like that wasn't as easily controlled and he didn't want Petra to know the extent to which her words affected him.

She popped a hip out and crossed her arms as he merely watched her with a long, expectant stare. She quirked an eyebrow as the silence extended, her voice taking an edge of irritation. "What's the matter Levi, cat got your tongue?"

Again, he could only watch her dumbly, admittedly slow to the draw because while she_ had_ made a valid point and correctly wagered that, sure, he was hoping to_ not_ live the remainder of his life without any sort of physical release and would very much like to have sex sometime throughout the remainder of his life, that…that _wasn't _a valid reason to just slam her against the wall and fuck her brains out, and he was surprised to hear that she thought it was.

As he tried to pick his words and try to…perhaps negotiate the timing or find some way to communicate that he _did_ want her, just not…not fucking like _this_, Petra seemed to have lost her patience and took a sharp inhale, "Alright Captain, it seems you're _still _hesitant, so let's talk. Am I…what, not _pretty_ enough for you or something? Not good enough or attractive enough for you?"

Levi groaned at her questions, already seeing where this was going and dreading the shitstorm that was to come.

Oh, fuck.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

Petra crossed her arms in clear offense and pursed her lips in anger, "Come on, tell me what it is! I'm not your _type_? You prefer blondes? What, my ass too small or something?"

Levi rubbed his temples, knowing that no matter how he responded, he would _still_ be wrong, but knowing that staying silent would make it even_ worse_.

"Your ass is fine, you're not being-"

"Well what is it then!" Petra demanded hotly as she spoke over him, and when Levi merely watched her with a sort of frustrated hesitation, not sure what he _could_ say that might appease her incredibly unfair demands, Petra's mouth fell open in shock and she gasped in offense, "This _is _about my ass, isn't it! Well _excuse me_ Captain, but what you see is what you get, and if you _do_ want to get anything, _ever_, you're just going to have to make peace with the fact that I'm small and have a petite build! It's a miracle that I'm this tall at all, I mean, it's not my damned fault okay, my mom was 4`9!"

At her angry and increasingly _irrational_ tirade, Levi quickly held his hands up in surrender, "Fucking _shit_ Petra, this _isn't _about your ass!"

She eyed him narrowly and mumbled defiantly, "Tch. You're damn right it isn't…"

A silence fell over the room and Levi decided to let her sarcastic retort slide, wanting to avoid another round of_ that_ conversation if it could at all be avoided.

What really got to him, more than her sudden anger or shocking words, was…why now? The last time they had a serious sort of conversation regarding their evolving interactions, it had been _Petra_ who stated that she wanted to back off and not encourage things to get out of hand – _specifically_ in a physical sense. Since then, they had been together almost every waking moment for a month straight without so much as a single _glance_ out of place, and _now_ she suddenly wanted to throw all caution to the wind and demand they get physical?

Why? What did she hope to accomplish? As much as he wanted to pretend that he held that much appeal in her eyes, even in the event that she was _that_ attracted to him, Petra wasn't the type of girl to just throw herself at him like this for some basic carnal satisfaction. The more he thought about it, the more questions that surfaced in his mind because something just wasn't sitting right with him.

Why_ now_? And furthermore, why _this_ approach? Surely she understood that there were better ways to persuade him then to just stand there and demand they fuck. Considering he had been with Petra in some of her prior moments of weakness, he knew her _natural_ methods of persuasion and it only cemented his theory that something else was at play here. If _before_ she was alluring and sexy and everything that made it impossible for him to think clearly, _now_ she was awkward and off putting, presenting herself in a way that was so… _not_ Petra that it was having opposite of the intended effect on him.

For her to suddenly act like this, his mind was racing. What exactly had happened that caused her mind to change directions so sharply – especially in his _absence_? It was as if something changed her entire outlook regarding their interactions and…

All too late he remembered Eld's meddling just a few minutes ago, and he wanted to groan.

Not some _thing_, some_one_.

...It seemed Eld had been rather busy this past week.

Levi felt like storming out of his office and tracking down his meddling asshole of a subordinate. He should have _known_ Eld would have gone out of his way to twist her innocent mind the second he was out of the picture. While he couldn't be too certain that's what had happened, it was certainly more probable than_ Petra_ deciding something like this on her own accord, and what was more, if Eld was the one pushing her out of her comfort zone, it more than accounted for her strange, forceful and unsettling approach.

He supposed there was a relatively easy way to find out, because if his instincts were right – which he was confident that they were – it wouldn't take much pressure for her pretenses to come crashing down. Satisfied with his conclusion, he looked up toward Petra calmly and gave an accepting, intentional sigh as he stood up from his desk, deciding that it was time to test her resolve.

He moved a hand to his neck as he watched her directly, looping a finger beneath his collar and pulling his cravat a little looser until the fabric fell flatly across his shirt at the ends. Petra blinked as she watched him in surprise as though not certain of his intent, and he made a point of undoing the top button of his collar, moving his head side to side and freeing his neck from its prior confines.

He licked his lips and exhaled casually, "Alright Petra, if you're so certain..." He gave a simple nod and looked at her directly, "Let's have sex."

Her eyes went considerably wide at his rather direct statement and she seemed to stutter in a weak attempt to find her voice, "Wha…but I…you…you actually _agree_?"

He allowed himself a slight chuckle as he shrugged in return, his eyes never leaving hers as he moved out from behind his desk, steps languid as he slowly made his way toward her. He undid another button in his shirt and rolled his shoulders as he spoke lowly, "Well I _am _your husband after all, so it's only natural that we _have sex._"

"But the marriage is…only on paper…" she whispered, actually taking a step _back _from him in attempts to keep a comfortable distance between them, seeming to have lost all her previous confidence as she spoke with a palpable nervousness.

Levi pretended not to notice and continued walking toward her just the same, "And considering you're _so_ set on things not being just on paper, well…" He leaned toward her as he spoke in a sort of promise, "_I can make that happen_."

"Oh is that…so…How…uh, I mean, I'm looking forward to…um, should you maybe…" she squeaked out, looking around the room for an avenue of escape as she spoke random bits of nothing as her thoughts seemed to scatter.

For every step he took toward her, she retreated with an equal number of steps, and when she started to near the doorway, Levi reached an arm behind her and swung the door back so that as she continued backing away from him, she actually pushed the door closed _herself._ Finally, the metal latch clicked into place as she settled herself back against the door, watching him with wide, uncertain eyes.

He put an arm against the door in a show of force and took an intentional breath as he allowed his gaze to trail her up and down, settling himself a mere inch in front her as he made a point of letting his eyes wander. He smirked as he reached his other hand out, acting as though he were going to touch her, but rather diverting his hand just past her side, near the swell of her hips, having to bite back a smirk as he intentionally grabbed the _door handle_ instead. He clicked the lock in place, the resulting sound actually causing her to flinch from its implications.

Her reactions thus far had _long_ since proved his suspicions, and yet he couldn't quite bring himself to let up on the pressure because her reactions were far too amusing and considering the tight spot she had placed him in a mere moment ago, he didn't want to let her off the hook so easily.

He slowly ran his hand down the side of her face, his thumb brushing the edge of her lips as he spoke, "Now it may not be romantic, but I've got the time right _now _considering I'm not on active duty, and since you're _so_ certain that this is what you want…"

Petra pressed her lips together nervously, her mind racing as the Captain's intense gaze continued to fail in meeting her eyes. He ran his hand down over the expanse of her neck and stopped at the collar of her shirt, his fingers thumbing the top button until he brought both hands upward and slowly opened her collar with a concentrated stare that lingered on her pale skin.

She felt an intense blush come to her face, and regardless the fact that it was a mere two inches of her _neck_ that was suddenly visible, Petra couldn't help how self-conscious and exposed she suddenly felt under his watchful eye. "Uh, Cap…Captain…" she squeaked out nervously, and Levi gave a chuckle as he pulled the fabric out to opposite ends of her neck, running his thumbs over her newly exposed collar bones languidly. He shook his head and leaned closer toward her, his voice a low whisper that made goosebumps rise over her skin as his hot breath caressed her face, "At a time like this, you can just call me _Levi_."

_At a time like this?_

A million thoughts raced through her mind, and as Levi leaned forward as though he were preparing to kiss her, Petra lost her nerve completely, clamping her eyes shut and turning to the side as a sort of fearful, pitiful squeak left her. She couldn't push him away because he was only doing what she had asked him and maybe it wouldn't be all that bad in the end so maybe…maybe she could just grin and bear it?

Damn, perhaps she _should_ have taken Eld up on his offer for the candles and wine, hell even the stupid lemon juice, but now it was too late and…

She braced herself for what was to come, eyes still clamped shut tightly, and she tensed even further when she _didn't_ feel his lips on hers, didn't feel him press his body against her, didn't hear fabric shifting as he attempted to undress her…

For a long moment, the Captain seemed to do…_nothing_.

It was only when she opened her eyes curiously, wondering just what it was he was planning to do or why he had suddenly stopped, that she could feel Levi's breath in her ear and there was a low, amused chuckle that seemed to roll from his chest. For an agonizing long moment, they remained perfectly still, his quiet laughter only confusing her all the more because…wasn't he going to..?

Levi gave an amused smirk against her skin and whispered gently, "…There. You see, Petra? You_ don't _want this."

At that, he pulled away from her, resting back into his arm as he continued to lean over her, but from a more comfortable distance. He watched her with a still pronounced smirk and Petra's mouth fell open as she slowly, slowly realized that he had been _intentionally_ making her uncomfortable for the mere hell of it. He had never intended on undressing her or kissing her or anything of the sort; he had purposefully said and done those things _just_ to get a rise out of her!

That fucking smug, arrogant, son of a-!

She could only watch him in_ immense_ embarrassment, and she realized with a sudden growing sense of horror that she _again_ had thrown herself at him, only this time it was simply because she wasn't confident in how things were progressing and that seemed like a logical next step to her…_at the time_.

Now though…

As she opened her mouth to respond, about to berate him for embarrassing her like that when he could have just called her bluff outright if he already knew she wasn't as comfortable as she was pretending to be, Levi looked down at her with a different expression altogether, stalling in place as he hovered over her, and he suddenly leaned back into her.

Levi firmly pressed his lips against hers, kissing his subordinate with a sudden storm of passion – for the first time in over a _month _\- as he pressed her into the door; one hand pulling her neck toward him and the other pressing her hips forcefully back as he took a step closer still and aligned his body over hers directly, pressing himself against her with a tempered exhale because_ goddamn_ she felt great when she was pressed up against him like that. Shocked though she was, Petra could only respond in kind as Levi kissed her fervently, his passionate and dominating kiss strangely being the only thing that made sense to her through this odd interaction, the weight of his body pressing against hers secure and comforting rather than intimidating like it had been a mere moment before.

As he overwhelmed her with his unmatched intensity, she found his name at the tip of her tongue; a plea that seemed to echo in the space between them. She should push him away; she should stop him now before things continued. She knew that he would respect her wishes, she knew he would never force himself on her, so it would just take a mere wince, a twitch of her head or a gasp of discomfort for him to retreat completely. She had let her guard down for him in the past, and Levi was so unpredictable, so unsure and clearly caught off guard by their connection just as much as she was; it was causing tumultuous rifts, fire and passion and pain and heartache and breath taking beauty because who would have ever thought that someone like her, someone like…

"_Levi…_"

A breath, a whisper, perhaps even a prayer – regardless her warring thoughts, regardless her unease, for the first time she found herself _listening_ to his actions, more than _experiencing_ them as she had before. What he couldn't say with words, she realized he was all but _shouting _them with his actions, and Petra realized she had been so, so wrong. After all this time, even with the distance, the responsibilities and the day to day tasks, she realized that nothing had changed, nothing had slowed down or become suddenly tempered like she had thought it would if she just drew more defined 'boundaries' between them.

No.

Their connection had only _continued_ to grow stronger, regardless her attempts to stifle their growing relationship, however due to her setting boundaries their disciplines were both now _strained _from having to keep their naturally developing intimacy contained and regulated. As Levi kissed her with a passion that spoke of his pent-up desire and desperation for her – Petra realized how ridiculous she was being. It had been foolish of her to try to cage or control the bonds that were forming between them, because if _before_ there was a spark, _now_ it had been outright agitated, having morphed into a blazing fire that threatened to overtake them both.

Disciplined though they were, the wanting what was forbidden, the outright lust – self-control would only take them so far and yet…

Hearing his name from her, the breathlessness she spoke with, Levi exhaled with a desperate sigh and pressed his body into her all the more as he pulled back to catch his breath. He ran his hand up the slope of her neck, over her jaw line, his thumb cresting between the space of her inviting mouth, tracing the smoothness of her kiss swollen lips with the pad of his thumb as he watched her between the sound of his own panting; her unfocused and dazed expression alluring and captivating and so, so damn beautiful. His thumb moved languidly, curiously, cresting over the ridges of her bottom teeth, and he took a sharp inhale, having just barely caught his breath, when Petra's tongue seemed to eagerly meet him, brushing her tongue against his skin as a wanton and lust-filled flush colored her cheeks.

"_Fuck_ woman." Levi mumbled as he watched her graze her tongue against his thumb sensually, and he leaned forward and kissed her fiercely a second time, his tongue sweeping out against her lips without hesitation, along her teeth and inside the cavern of her mouth possessively as he fanned her desire with his own – because it had been a long,_ long_ fucking month and he had wanted her then, and he wanted her now, and the fact she had always been within arm's reach and was yet_ still_ so untouchable, fuck he was going out of his damned mind! He desperately needed to show her that he _did_ want her, but not in a way that ever cheapened her or took advantage of her in a mere moment of weakness or because someone else said so.

But fuck, the way she had just said his_ name_…

He wasn't even aware of how _badly _he had been needing this until she was wrapped in his arms and melting into his hold like she had been_ made_ for him. What she had demanded of him before, the way she said his name and clung to him even _now_ – while he had intended to respect her wishes and keep things…_somewhat_ platonic on a physical front because that's what _Petra_ wanted, all things considered he felt that stealing a kiss was a fairly innocent infraction, and if he was_ going _to allow himself this one-time indulgence and purposefully cross the line, he wanted to enjoy it to the fullest extent before he let her go. Even so, how many times would he be _able _to withstand her testing and teasing before his self-control finally snapped?

He repeatedly swept his lips over hers, again and again, nipping at her lips and pulling her against him possessively, confident in his actions and immensely enjoying the feel of her soft curves, her breath hot on his face and her lips plaint, compliant between his as he showered her with every bit of passion he felt for her while he still could. He kissed her until his body ached, until he knew he _had_ to pull away before it led to something that Petra simply wasn't ready for.

As much as he wanted her…he could be _patient_. For her.

He pulled away and brought air into his depleted lungs, his shoulders tense and chest heaving from a mix of desire and restraint. Petra slowly leaned her head down from its previously tilted position and open her eyes as though _still_ in a daze, also panting as she fought to catch her breath.

Feeling somewhat satisfied with himself, Levi took a step back and rested into his arm once again, still very near to her but not so all consuming and he watched her curiously, not exactly sure of how she would respond to his blatant disregard of her previously drawn boundaries. For a long moment, Petra remained perfectly still as though taking it all in and only now realizing what had just happened between them; an uncertain expression coming to her features as a silence drew out between them. Levi found himself taking a breath, already preparing to apologize because he was certain he had upset her, he was certain he had gone too far in his taking advantage of the moment - but before he could say anything, Petra exhaled with a slow shake of her head and cut him off.

"…_Wow._" She whispered to herself with a faraway look, giving a slight smile as she brought a hand to her lips in surprise. Levi gave a quiet laugh at her transparent, unguarded response, remembering Eld saying something to the effect that Petra thought he was a good kisser. Apparently, the man hadn't been lying, and a smile pulled at his lips as he watched Petra blink a few times before she finally seemed to regain her bearings. At the very least, she didn't seem to be angry with him, and he decided not to linger on the matter further before she changed her mind.

He took a deep breath to collect himself and nodded down toward her seriously. "Now," he stated in an exhale, moving his hands back toward her collar and putting the simple button of her shirt back in place. As his hands nimbly worked to restore her previous state of dress, her face turned a deep shade of crimson as he spoke, and he continued working the collar around her skin purposefully, adjusting the fabric lightly so that her collar sat correctly around her thin neck and the seams lined her shoulders neatly, "You go find that asshole Eld and tell him to come see me immediately. Someone needs to tell him to stop his damned meddling because I'm getting rather tired of his games."

Satisfied with Petra's tidy and less disheveled appearance, Levi tilted his chin upward and set to work on his own shirt, fingers twisting mechanically from memory as he buttoned his shirt and readjusted the collar, adjusting the fabric of his cravat next before retying it properly around his neck.

Petra was somewhat mesmerized by the smoothness of his actions, something that perplexed Levi as he wasn't used to Petra _staring_ at him, but when he finished and watched her with a quirked eyebrow, she merely blushed all the more and cleared her throat sheepishly, "Eld? But how…how did you-"

"Know?" Levi finished for her matter of factly, and he reached beside her again and gave the door handle a slight turn, the action subsequently unlocking the door as he responded casually, "Because frankly Petra, you're dense as hell when it comes to these things, but _I _am not. Now go bring that fucker here. Either he needs to learn to mind his own damn business, or learn how to not get caught."

Petra bit her lip and gave a light smile, looking toward the door and pausing as Levi turned back toward his desk.

"Hey uh, Captain?" She reached out and grabbed the fabric of his jacket sleeve as he turned away, and he paused mid motion, looking back toward her in question with a raised eyebrow. She pressed her lips together and spoke quietly, her face turning red with the words she spoke, "I uh…look, I don't think I really said what I wanted to before. More than anything, I guess I really just wanted to clarify that you don't…" He quirked an eyebrow as she trailed off and she gave an innocent shrug as she struggled to articulate her thoughts, "It's not that I want things to escalate or that I don't want to be disciplined but maybe…well, perhaps it wouldn't be so bad if we..."

Again she sighed, and finally she looked up toward him with a shy and nervous smile, "I guess what I'm trying to say, is that I _trust _you, Levi, and I want you to feel free to express yourself, or free to just be you…so don't feel like you have to keep away from me or anything. Whatever happens, happens, okay? I trust you, Captain."

He blinked in surprise at her words that sounded like…._permission? – _his eyes going wide when Petra moved up onto her toes and ever so lightly leaned into him, pressing her lips against his in return. While surprised through and through because _he_ was suddenly being kissed by _her_, he could only allow his eyes to close as he returned her kiss in contentment because as she kissed him so tenderly, Levi found that - not surprisingly - her kiss was chaste; simple and humble and everything he knew Petra to be.

Perfect.

She didn't linger and pulled away after the brief contact as she rested flatly onto her feet again, looking into the ground shyly and biting her lip as a blush stained her cheeks from the audacity of her actions, "…Thanks, and I guess…well, welcome home, Levi. That's really what I should have said before. Yes. Welcome home."

She negated to look at him as she turned toward the door quickly, leaving the room with her head still bowed; a definite, shy smile across her face as she closed the door behind her and retreated in obvious nervousness.

He listened to the sound of her footsteps scamper down the hallway and he gave a carefree sort of sigh, his lips still warm from their previous actions. He realized that that was the first time _she_ had kissed _him_, and a warmness spread through his chest as a result. He gave a small smile as he walked to his desk, slowly sitting down in his chair and shaking his head in a sort of awe as he reflected over some of their past interactions.

As much as he enjoyed their few and sporadic moments of passion where his natural dominance seemed to overwhelm her so easily and she allowed him to take control with minimal effort on his end, there was something so…_special_, about the innocence, the tenderness and kindness that only Petra could convey with a kiss. Whereas he could only kiss her with intensity; unbridled desire that spoke the words he could never say and a passion that relayed his aching, longing for her affection and devotion – Petra's kiss spoke of trust, the promise of tomorrow and an ardent fervency for him alone.

While it pleased him (immensely) to know that Petra was satisfied with his kiss, it was now his firm opinion that between the two of them…well, he was certain that _Petra_ was the better kisser, and admittedly, he was okay with that.

…

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End of Chapter

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…

*smirks*

So, yall know what I'm about to say - GODS I LOVE THIS CHAPTER! For obvious reasons. I just love the whole thing. I love Petra's sputtering, nonsensical argument, I love when she flips out and is all 'My mom was only 4'9 Levi, stop tormenting me!' And poor, poor wide eyed Levi being like Lord save me because there's no way to come out unscathed, then his almost immediate realization that Eld's up to his old tricks again, and decides to just play along with Petra and watch her squirm.

And then that – when he loses at his own game and kinda cave in just a little bit. Ahhhh. Pure gold.

Yall tell me what you thought for sure, because I am on cloud nine! Did you LOVE it?! I hope you did. I've been waiting to share this chapter with you for a long time!

Hearts and all that, see yall next Sunday!


	32. The One with the Collaboration Results

Ugghhh.

I am sooo exhausted. I didn't sleep last night, didn't do my final edits (but I've read this chapter probably 100 times so it should be alrightish, but my sincerest apologies if there's a surplus of errors. I'll give it a final sweep later on today and clean it up once and for all) and most notably, I've got a miserable cold. My gosh, I forgot how miserable a cold can be, this is the worst.

But side note, wow did yall show up last chapter. Thank you so much for the positive feedback, I'm glad yall enjoyed that chapter as much as I did! As always, my readers make it all worth the work and journey, and it's been such a great staple to MY week, getting to post on Sundays, checking yalls thoughts, writing up new material – good times indeed.

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Petra had just finished showering off after completing training for the day, dressed in fresh clothes and brushing out her still wet hair when a knock sounded from outside her bedroom door. She set her hairbrush down, moving toward the front of her room and opening the door curiously. Seeing her unannounced visitor, she gave a smile and opened her door more fully in welcome, "Oh! Hello, Captain."

Levi gave a single nod and motioned with a tilt of his head down the hallway, "Sorry but, do you got a minute? It seems your time has come; Erwin wants to talk with you about the meeting."

Hearing his words, Petra gave a slight smile of excitement and nodded. She had been hoping that considering everyone's return yesterday, Erwin would have found the time to meet with her sometime last night, but she could only assume that the Commander had been busy because the 'lackey', as Levi had dubbed them, that was supposed to come and fetch her had never actually arrived.

She grinned cheekily as she watched Levi with a sudden degree of smugness, "So it turns out _you're_ the lackey set to do Erwin's bidding?"

He huffed as though also not pleased by the turn of events, "So it would seem."

Petra gave a cordial laugh and turned back into her room, speaking as she moved around the space hurriedly, "Yeah, let me just…"

Levi leaned onto the door frame as Petra moved throughout her room, watching her as she grabbed a towel set over her dresser and ran it through her hair a few times before bending forward, tossing her damp hair out in front of her and standing back up fully with all her hair now gathered on top of her head.

She looked around the room, "Hey Levi, do you see my…"

He quirked an eyebrow in question as she trailed off, having no idea what she was looking for, and Petra used her free hand to sort through a collection of things resting on her dresser, giving an 'Ah' as she pulled a hair tie into her hand. She pulled the black band around her hair a few times until it was fastened securely into a messy bun, watching herself in the mirror as she pulled at various strands of hair to adjust the bun's position on her head until she finally seemed satisfied with her appearance.

Petra turned toward him and tilted her head at him in presentation, "Look okay?"

He watched her dumbly, not sure what she was expecting him to say. Of course she looked 'okay', she looked beautiful, but somehow he knew that wasn't what she was looking for and he wasn't sure how to respond. There must have been a funny expression on his face, because as Petra watched him for a response, she gave a musical laugh and shook her head in clear amusement.

Well wasn't _someone_ in a good mood today...

"Alright alright," she beamed as she walked toward him, "Let's go, Captain."

He negated to respond in word, rather pushed off the doorframe in a sort of shrug, moving down the hall as Petra made light conversation about how the day's training had gone, how she was excited to hear the turn out of the meeting considering all the hard work they had put into it with the hours of research, and other bits of buzzing conversation that filled their short walk through the compound.

As they approached the office, Levi gave a light tap on the door as he simultaneously opened it, giving a nod to Erwin as he walked into the room quietly. Petra followed after him, and Erwin gave a nod in return, "Levi, Mrs. Ackerman, welcome. Please take a seat."

She did as instructed and sat down, giving the Commander a polite smile and watching as Levi moved to stand against the left wall - even though there were other chairs he could have sat in, he gravitated straight to that spot as though second nature.

"I presume you'll have no problem if I get straight to the point – you're curious as to how the meeting went?" Erwin asked matter of factly, and Petra gave a chuckle.

"Yeah. Captain said that you requested to be the one to tell me directly, which I figured was either a really good thing, or a…really bad thing."

Erwin's expression remained unchanged, and he folded his hands up on his desk as he spoke, "I see. It's actually for a different reason entirely, at least in that regard. I wanted to be the one to explain it considering the fact that it is my judgement that dictates how the Regiment will be moving forward. Not that I don't trust Levi to communicate effectively with you himself, but I assume you will have questions and there's no need for a middle man – you've more than proven your loyalty to our cause and I feel that I can trust you."

"Oh. Well, thank you, Commander." Petra acknowledged respectfully, and Erwin took a deep breath as he prepared to summarize the outcome.

"As for the meeting, it was more of an action plan than a traditional collaboration. The Royal Government has run numbers of their own, and I'll get to that in a moment. The original cause of the gas shortage was a mining and routing accident on the northwest side of Wall Rose – the town that is responsible for the manufacturing and delivery experienced something of a crisis after a landslide collapsed multiple mines and killed many workers. As of last week, functionality has been fully restored so there is a light at the end of the tunnel, to some extent."

Erwin paused and took a breath, the room quiet as Petra waited for him to fully explain the situation, "Come this time next year, production and distribution will be at full capacity same as it's been before, which is where the rationing_ now_ comes into effect. The government wants to ensure that no one runs out of gas completely over the next twelve months, and they have mathematically proven that if each of the factions cease output of thirteen percent on a monthly basis, we will effectively outlast the impacts of the shortage and no one will have to go without."

Erwin gave her a nod and watched her directly with an even expression, "I presume most of this you were already aware of."

"The concepts yes, but not all of the details." Petra explained simply, "I didn't know that the year mark had been placed - that's news to me. I wasn't sure how long there would be a shortage, but I'm happy to hear that the issue will somewhat resolve itself in due time and we just have to stick it out until then."

At her assessment, Erwin seemed to take a moment to pick his words, his voice lower as spoke in purposed contemplation, "Our goal, the goal that I had you and Levi running all those reports for, was to prove that the Scouts needed an unregulated supply due to the nature of our dangerous work. It was my hope that if we could prove our efficiencies were lowering, that we would likely experience a tremendous loss of life as a result – costly on more than one front considering that it is not easy to replace a specialized soldier in terms of time, money, value, and skill, and sheer man power. Your data proved my suspicions, and I'm thankful for the hard work you put in to bring those reports to fruition."

Petra said nothing to this, only giving him a proud smile, and the Commander continued just the same, "While I believe that your findings are undeniable… the Government unfortunately does not feel that there is a substantial link between the gas shortage and our claim of an upcoming raise in casualties. I'm sorry to report this to you, but the Scouts will _still _be required to prove they have lessened their gas output by the required thirteen percent each month, same as everyone else, with the exception of an actual Expedition, where it has been agreed that full use of gas is a requirement."

Hearing his words, the smile fell from her lips and a sinking feeling churned in Petra's stomach that left her feeling a little soured.

It…didn't work? All their effort, the _hours_ that Levi and her had slaved late into the night, the sleep they had lost to prove the connection between the flailing numbers and the loss of resources…_it had all been for nothing?_

She looked around the room in sudden confusion as words failed her, and she exhaled desperately, "But Commander they can't…the data, I don't…I don't understand! It _proves_ that we aren't as efficient, it proves our performance has suffered and if we aren't preforming at our peak then-"

Erwin gave a long sigh and nodded as he leaned forward over his desk, "You don't have to convince me Petra, I know full well what the numbers show and your conclusion is the same as mine. The Government agrees that our performance is slacking and we aren't as efficient because of the shortage, but they _don't _agree that a few percents here and there will lead to a guaranteed massacre like we claim it will – they feel it's more hear say than a definite,_ proven_ result. As a head nod to our concerns, they have cancelled our summer expeditions to allow us time to regroup and focus our training plans, but come September, we resume our tasks as scheduled."

Petra's mouth fell open and she struggled just the same to find her words. She was torn as to how she felt about the Royal Government cancelling their upcoming summer expeditions, but at the very least it would protect their men for a while longer yet. Still though…September was a little over four months from now, and she knew that the time they gained was a double-edged sword. While it would keep their men alive and save the gas that they would have used in the Expeditions, in four months their performance would surely reflect the lack of proper training with the 3DM gear and it was only postponing the inevitable if not _enhancing_ it..

No, she couldn't think like that. If they had the luxury of time then maybe she could figure something out. She supposed that if she worked with Hanji, she could rework the numbers to find what behaviors seemed to be impacted the most, and then maybe work with Levi next to create a specialized training regimen that would focus on results for that particular skill?

No – if they did that it would only cause _other_ skills to weaken from the lack of well-rounded training, and they would only be in the same position but with a different lacking skill. Perhaps if they did more of a rotation style of training then-

"I can see your brain is already turning." Erwin's voice brought her out of her frantic thoughts, and she looked up toward him with wide, unsatisfied eyes that spoke of her internal conflict. A silence fell across the room as Erwin watched her with a strange expression, a sort of unease settling in Petra's stomach from the intensity of his gaze. She shifted in her chair nervously, not sure why this sudden silence and his heavy stare was making her so uncomfortable.

Finally, he spoke.

"It seems you have a…_talent_ for seeing practical solutions when confronted with raw data. Not everyone has such a unique skillset Mrs. Ackerman, and what's more, it's not a skill that can be taught – only practiced and refined with time. Luckily, I myself also share this skill and after looking at it from every angle; I have a solution that will protect the lives of our men, while still meeting the demands of the Government."

Petra exhaled in relief, almost smiling at his words because she should have known that Erwin would be ten steps ahead of her, "Thank Maria for that. How are we going to do it then? _I _don't see how we can limit the use of our gas and still keep our efficiencies up, but I'm not surprised_ you_ found a way. I suppose you really would be better at this than me after all, so it would stand to reason that-"

Erwin's expression was even, perhaps a little cold, and he watched her brazenly as he spoke with authority, "From this point on, we will eliminate certain team's gas privileges _entirely_."

A long silence fell over the room at Erwin's simple explanation as Petra's words caught in her throat, and when she realized the implications of his 'solution', Petra was on her feet.

"We…we_ what_?"

Erwin's expression remained unchanged and he merely nodded, "You heard me correctly, Petra. The reality is if we keep on as we are where every team shoulders the burden of the gas shortage, then _every_ team will be impacted, and every team will be that much less prepared to handle the threat of the Titans come September. Your data proved the impacts of the ration thus far and at this rate, for sake of argument, let's say we'd lose… one hundred lives as a result."

Petra watched him with obvious distrust but remained silent for his analogy, and Erwin continued, "Now imagine if we looked at our reports _now_, found the teams that were already struggling before the shortage, and made it so they did not have access to the gas in the months to come. The reality is that due to their poor performance, they would have _already_ been likely to die come the next Expedition, and if they are cut off from resources, the more talented squads can resume full training and have a fighting chance at survival. If we selectively chose those weaker squads and make _them_ bear the brunt of the burden, we would lose maybe…twenty lives instead."

"Losing?" Petra repeated in a huff as she watched the Commander with disgust and shook her head vehemently, "That's not losing, that's _sacrificing!_ You would intentionally be sabotaging people's chances at survival just so other squads have a better chance and that…Commander that's monstrous! These are _people_ who have sacrificed so much for you, who have dedicated their lives to the cause and-"

Erwin cut her off with a testing glare, his voice more sharp as he spoke over her, "And they are prepared to lay their life down if the need arises, exact same as you Mrs. Ackerman. We've _all _taken that oath, and if I have to leverage a few lives to protect the future of the Scouts then I will."

Petra looked toward Levi in outrage, silently asking if he was aware, or if he was _okay_ with this, though his expression was blank and it was obvious he had no intention of joining in on either side of the discussion. She gave a 'tch' of anger and looked back toward Erwin in defiance.

"Commander, this is…this is sick! This is so twisted and so wrong – I did all of that research to prove that we needed unrestricted resources, and it didn't work and for that I'm sorry. Look, maybe if I…" she trailed off, desperately trying to put a stop to his dark course of action before it was implemented throughout the ranks, "Maybe if I had a bit more time, I could look for a _better_ link to prove that it's not just an assumption. The Royal Government might change their minds! I can look at evasion rates, speed, or, or maybe…"

Erwin exhaled at her stubborn rejection of his solution, noting that she was going so far as to try and _barter_ with him. He crossed his arms and clicked his tongue, trying to shape her perspective to something more optimal. "A question for you to consider Petra: is it better to lose one hundred lives through piety, white-clad principle, and unwavering morality, or is it better to _save_ the lives of eighty - through decisive sacrifice of those who are already damned? You really think the families of those extra eighty men will _care_ how the lives of their loved ones were spared? The dead will still be dead, but the living will-"

"But they _aren't_ dead yet! How dare you speak of them that way!" Petra shouted, her face turning red as she passionately disagreed with the Commander and his blood-thirsty, hasty judgment call. "Right now they are _very much_ alive and you are trying to sacrifice men like they are mere scape goats, playing god and choosing so callously who will live or die when you've got _no_ right, and that's so…disgusting! When I agreed to help you, it was to _save_ lives, not condemn them!"

Petra's shouting echoed across the office walls, her words having a venomous bite that caused both the Commander and Captain's eyes to widen at her audacious words of accusation. Levi looked toward Erwin in question, admittedly surprised by her boldness once again. It was one thing to smart off to_ him _considering that to some extent he allowed, and therefore enabled the behavior – but_ Erwin_ was a different man and was not to be toyed with, for he was equally as dangerous in a different way all his own. Levi watched as Erwin slowly rose from his chair, his voice quiet but holding a level of authority that quickly intimidated Petra and caused her to fearfully sink back into her own chair in an obvious sort of back pedaling.

"Mrs. Ackerman," Erwin stated lowly, _calmly_, but with a subdued malice that made goosebumps crest over her skin, "I appreciate all that you have done these past few weeks, but I would encourage you to remember _your place_. I am the Commander of the Scouting Legion, not you. Like it or not, your data proved we have a major problem and it's_ my_ responsibility to fix it, no matter the obstacles that stand in my way. Your studies – as you are _well aware_ \- proved that for every squad barred from proper training, their performance weakens, and while the government doesn't believe your claims that it will lead to a massive loss of life, _I do_."

Erwin continued his explanation curtly, watching her with a corrective, threatening stare, "If we do nothing and continue on as before, there's no telling how many will die, but if we intentionally pick a small number of recruits who use no gas, we will remain within the thirteen percent demands _and_ give the rest of the faction a much better chance of survival."

Erwin fell silent as he sat back into his chair, nodding toward Petra to confirm that she could now respond if she so chose, and the ginger pressed her lips together and shook her head as a tense silence blanketed the room thickly. "Commander." She acknowledged in a whisper, not able to look at him and the firm expression he watched her with, rather keeping her head tilted down to the floor as she whispered with a subtle degree of loathing in her voice, "_There has to be another way_."

Erwin watched her now subdued, humbled behavior and nodded in approval, "You think so? Well, you tell _me_ Mrs. Ackerman – it's _your_ data."

Petra looked up toward Erwin with suddenly wide eyes, and he gave a smirk at her curious, horrified expression. He tried not to laugh at her sheer innocence because after five years of working under a man like Levi, it was a wonder that she was still so naïve, "Don't tell me you're just now realizing that. Had you not run these numbers, we would have kept on just the same, right? I know you don't like the outcome, but think of how many lives would have been lost if it hadn't been for your work. It's because of _you_ that we can adjust our path like this at all."

"So some Scouts will be banned entirely from gas…_Because of me?_"

Erwin merely nodded, "Every team might have experienced casualties and we would have suffered heavy losses. With your data, it allowed me to make a difficult decision and yes, some _will_ die, but it's a controlled ratio that will target only those who were _already_ prone to fall and they alone will be barred from gas, rather than the whole."

"Granted, if you don't _like_ it," Erwin fixed her with a dark smirk and chuckled at the spiteful, hateful glare she watched him with, looking as though she were mere moments away from lunging across his desk and assaulting him, "Then I'd say you'd better start your number crunching and show me some results. If _you_ have a better idea of how to cut gas by thirteen percent and save the lives of your fellow peers, I'd love to hear it – but as the Commander I've made my decision based off what I've got in the moment. You can hate me, you can believe I am a monster, but at the end of the day it's my judgement call to make, and I choose to lose _some_, rather than _all_."

Erwin paused and shook his head in amusement, watching her with a twisted smile and knowing that his work was just about done. His voice was quiet, "To some extent, I suppose it's all thanks to _you_, Mrs. Ackerman."

She outright snarled at his words, but remained seated in place because Erwin had already issued her a warning once, and she did not want to test his patience further and shame her Captain with her behavior. Still though, down to the core of her being, her very _soul_ – she did not agree with him and try as he may to convince her that it was for the best, that the sacrifices were justified and necessary, the fact that she had any part in this outcome, even if it was just research, made her feel physically sick.

She had _never_ intended for her research to be used in such a way and yet…

A scowl pulled her lips back and she spoke lowly, her words dark and malignant as she struggled to control her anger, "If I find a method…"

Erwin sat down with a smug grin and watched her in challenge, "I look forward to watching you try, Mrs. Ackerman." He gave a single exhale as his smirk only widened, "But for now I suppose… You are free to go. Dismissed."

She nodded tensely, standing up from her chair quietly and moving toward the door without pause, not waiting for Levi or even sparing him a passing glance as she left the room in a barely controlled fit of rage.

...

* * *

...

Petra stormed out of the room and Levi shadowed behind her, though instead of actually following out after her, he merely closed the door firmly and listened to the sound of her footsteps fade down the hall for an extended moment.

Once he was certain that Petra was a safe distance away, he looked over his shoulder toward Erwin, his voice clipped, "The _hell _do you think you're doing?"

Erwin withheld a sigh and watched Levi calmly. He had known from the beginning that Levi would not agree with his methods as the Captain was always particular about the loss of life, though Erwin supposed he should be grateful he had the discipline to wait until Petra had _left _the room before actually questioning him outright like this. Levi had already known about the plan regarding how they would stay within the parameters of the gas shortage, but he _hadn't_ known that Erwin intended to involve Petra as a last-ditch effort to tip the scales in their favor. He had considered giving him a head's up, but considering he knew he would never agree to anything that compromised_ Petra_…

Erwin returned his gaze passively, "Doesn't matter now, does it? The conversation has already happened, so whatever course of action will be taken in the end, her path has already been set in motion. Even if you were to talk to her, or brought her back so that I could negate my previous claims, she has it in her mind that_ her_ data is sending men to their graves. Because of that fact alone, we both know that words won't reach her now."

Levi pressed his lips together as he felt his blood start to boil. There were many times he disagreed with his superior, many times he found Erwin's methods to be cut-throat and blood thirsty, and yet Levi followed after him just the same because his methods _worked _and brought results. He reasoned with himself that their atrocities were an ugly necessity – that to some degree the end justified the means in the Commander's cause, because sheer morals alone never changed the world. Levi firmly believed that in order to gain something, something else of equal or even _greater_ value would have to be lost or sacrificed in its stead.

He _knew_ that, and yet…

Levi released the door handle with a huff of frustration and turned back toward Erwin, leaning against the door and crossing his arms as he spoke with forced restraint, "Erwin, this kind of mental strain – this kind of pressure on someone like _Petra_ – she's different than most Scouts. She won't see it as an _opportunity _to 'rise to the occasion', she will view it all as her_ fault_. The guilt combined with the upcoming deadline, even if it is four months away, will_ suffocate_ her."

Erwin gave a smooth nod of agreement, "Yes. And with any luck, it may even drive her past reason. We can only hope."

Levi watched as Erwin gave a dark smirk, and he clenched his fists and inhaled sharply.

He _knew _that look, and his lips pulled back into a threatening snarl. He was tempted to move across the room and get in his superior's face, pull him by the collar over the front of his desk and whisper dark promises and chilling threats in his ear that he had every ability to make good on. He wasn't sure what the show of force would accomplish as Erwin was not a man be easily intimidated, but Levi was tempted to try it just the same. He just wasn't sure if it was anger, or the need to protect Petra that made him want to instill fear into the blonde that still sat smirking so proudly behind the desk.

Levi remained at the door, his fists clenched tightly as he negated his desire to escalate the conversation into something louder and more physical, "You would take that risk? What are you even hoping she can _do?_ It's undeniable that she has a knack for data, but at the end of the day she's a soldier, not a fucking analyst. She's not an accountant, she's not a secretary – you're placing people's_ lives_ over her head and she's not even an Officer. At least maybe then she would have _agreed_ to those sorts of risks, but in a situation like this-"

"It could very well break her." Erwin acknowledged evenly, "Clinical depression, thoughts of suicide, loss of motivation – all extremely likely outcomes."

"So why then?!" he snapped firmly.

Levi glared at him in open disapproval, outraged by how easily the Commander talked about such outcomes in an almost carefree manner, and Erwin drummed his fingers against the surface of his desk, a light tapping sound echoing across the room from his actions, "Because. In the event she is successful – in the event that she sees something we do not, the lives saved will be worth the pressure, don't you agree?"

"No, I don't." Levi spat out firmly with a deep-set frown, "We function as a unit with the collective understanding that some lives are worth more than others. She has a promising skill set that's piqued your interest, but it seems you need to be reminded that her skills won't be of_ any _use to you if she's crushed under the weight of your intentional manipulation before she even has a_ shot_ at growing those skills. After 'failing' her comrades, it will break her spirit and render her useless to me, and you, and even herself. If this ends badly, it will _destroy_ her, and the soldiers will still die just the same."

Erwin's expression remained unchanged and he countered evenly with a shrug as he sat back into his chair and crossed his arms, "But what if she succeeds?"

Levi ground his teeth and rolled his eyes, exhaling as he tried to maintain his composure and not storm out of his office from sheer aggravation because even though Levi knew his concerns were valid, there was no way in a million years that he would walk out of a battle of wits with Erwin with his head held high. Erwin was still watching him, as though bored, as though Levi's attempts to tell him that Petra was off limits weren't getting through to him in the slightest – as though his staying in his office like this was merely delaying the inevitable.

Perhaps it was.

But even still.

Levi shook his head, his question not of curiosity, but rather sarcasm, "You think she _can?_"

Erwin merely quirked an eyebrow, "You think she _can't?_"

Levi responded tersely with a 'tch', irritated all the more that Erwin would have the gall to turn things around and make it seem as though _he_ were doubting her. His glare intensified, "You and Hanji are the brains around here and if _you_ can't figure out a better way, I doubt Petra is going to think of something so cunning and revolutionary that it's magically going to fix the bind we're in. I know you like to play the odds, but you're gambling with_ my _subordinate; my damn_ wife_. There may be a _sliver_ of a _potential_ that Petra comes through, but the most likely outcome is that we _still_ lose the men that you are sabotaging, and thanks to your mind fuckery, now we could lose Petra too."

Erwin's eyes narrowed with challenge and his damned smirk returned tenfold, "Then I guess it's important that we give her the tools to succeed and make sure that she feels _supported _as she tries to find a different solution to sedate her debilitating guilt. Unless of course…you _want_ to watch her fail, Captain?"

Levi sneered, now pushing himself off the door and standing tensely as he prepared to make his way toward Erwin. Forget _threatening _the man, all he needed was the right trigger, the right expression or taunting words and he would have no problem reminding Erwin exactly_ why_ he was called Humanity's Strongest. It wouldn't be the first time they had exchanged blows over the years, and it certainly wouldn't be the last.

His voice was irate, reflecting just how close he was to settling their argument in a way that favored_ his_ strengths instead, and he watched his superior in undisguised outrage, "Erwin! What the _fuck_ is that supposed to mean?"

The blonde merely watched him pointedly and leaned forward into his desk, as though intentionally pushing the Captain further to get a rise out of him, "Come now Levi, you're not the only one that has seen her skills develop over the years. While a large degree of credit goes to Petra herself of course, it was due to _your_ tutelage and investment that brought those hidden skills to light."

Erwin paused and gave an innocent sort of shrug as Levi's stare changed from anger to a sort of suspicion, "One would say it's rather…interesting, the effect you have on Petra _specifically_, I mean. With the right direction, you could encourage her to keep at it, to try new approaches or run different numbers if she gets stuck. If_ you _were to intentionally push her, it would have a peculiar effect on her motivation, _don't you think?_"

Levi's mouth dropped open, and he gave a slow shake of his head, hesitant to retaliate and give into his intent with his obvious baiting. Levi gave an empty, scathing huff, "Fuck no. I see where this is going, and you're not dragging _me_ in on this shit Erwin. I want Petra _out_ of this mess, so you sure as hell better believe that I'm_ not_ going to be encouraging her to play into your hand like some fucking chess piece. Play your mind games, march cadets straight to their fucking graves for all I care, but do _not_ toy with my squad like they're your fucking _pawns_ damn it."

Erwin watched him coldly and sighed, "I'm not playing mind games Levi, I'm merely pointing out a pattern of behavior that I know you've noticed yourself. Petra really does go above and beyond to impress you specifically, and with the fact she feels even _more_ indebted to you because of the wedding, she will drive herself relentlessly if you so much as say the word. She longs for your approval and if you would-"

Levi sneered and cut him off, "She feels _inferior_, which she shouldn't, and even after all she's done for the Scouts, after all she's sacrificed to prove her loyalty, _especially _as of late, you expected me to actually_ exploit _that?"

Erwin nodded with resolve and folded his hands back across the desk, "Of course."

A silence fell across the room; Levi not sure how to respond to Erwin's brazen response. If anything, he knew Erwin to be a straight shooter, and yet, at times he forgot just how far Erwin was willing to go for a mere _chance_ at gaining the upper hand.

Seeing the conflicted, shocked expression on the Captain's face, Erwin gave an acknowledging nod, his voice more quiet as he explained, "Granted, it's a risk to be sure, but it's a _calculated_ risk. With Petra's eye for data and the potent effect _you _have on her, I find the odds to be much higher in our favor than you seem to think. If it doesn't work, the men still die just the same and it will have been for nothing like you said, but if it_ does_ work, those mass casualties may be avoided completely. And because of that…even if it breaks her will or crushes her spirit, I need Petra to try. Unfortunately, like you said she's not experienced like myself or Hanji, so without the debilitating pressure she won't push herself _hard enough_ to think beyond what's already been calculated. Even still, she's efficient with data, has an eye for trends, and looks at numbers differently than I do – so her outcomes should prove to be different as well."

Erwin nodded again and released a pensive sigh, "That's why I've put her on this path Levi, and why I expect you to_ keep_ her on it."

The Captain all but stammered to find his words, not sure if he was more surprised to hear Erwin's full plan, or if he was just more pissed off that the man was actually making him _reconsider_ his stance on the matter in a fashion that only the Commander could.

He gave an exhale and rubbed his eyes, finding that for all the years he had worked under the him, there were times he simply couldn't _comprehend_ the innerworkings of his twisted mind. Levi's voice showed signs of his exhaustion, and he groaned into his hands as he spoke, "And what…just what is it that you think _I_ can do here? You know that I can't help with brainstorming or, what, track_ data_ trends? Furthermore, when I train my team, its ways to make them stronger, or…faster or new formations that encourage teamwork, battle tactics and thinking on the fly. This is…"

Erwin gave a sarcastic, dry chuckle at the Captain's obvious exasperation and resulting excuses, "Well you'd better figure out _something_ Levi, because like I said she's already set on a path that neither of us can steer her out of. The way I see it, you can ignore it and make a point of staying out of it because you _disagree_ with me, or you can help improve her chances of success and push her in a way that only her esteemed '_Captain Levi'_ can. What's more, you have more…_resources_ and avenues you can exploit, now that your relationship has changed with her. You _are_ her husband, after all."

As if to drive the point home, Erwin smirked, "She's had her eye on you for a while now Levi, and you've got a lot to offer a girl. Get creative, Captain."

Levi pressed his lips together and gave Erwin a menacing, hateful glare after hearing the taunting and teasing he spoke with – what his words insinuated, and the methods Erwin was recommending he use to twist her heart and mind. It was as though he knew things had been progressing between them, and the fact Erwin would dangle even _that_ above his head made him furious.

Erwin merely smirked darkly and shrugged, "That _glare_ of yours Captain, oh if looks could kill. Look, all I am trying to point out is that _you_ are the one that took a spritely child and molded her into the battle hardened, elite Scout that she is today. It would be a _miracle_ if Petra could figure out a different solution, but it was no easy task back_ then_ to turn her raw talent into something worthwhile, and look where we are now. Her successes all point back to you, Levi, and I'm counting on you to finish what you started."

Levi felt a growl build in his throat, recognizing the Commander's double-edged words that he had just said to Petra not five minutes before. He knew manipulation when he saw it, and Levi felt his lips pull over his teeth in a snarl, tightening his fists angrily, "You're a fucking piece of work, Erwin. I don't know anyone _alive_ that would knowingly jerk someone like_ me _around. You just better fucking hope that this gamble goes the way you think it will."

Erwin gave a small laugh, though his smug expression fell and he gave a shrug, his voice more quiet as he spoke in a sort of humbled admission, "Look. I know you don't like_ my_ solution to the forced rationing – I know you of all people value the lives of your comrades and don't want them to die needlessly. Granted, I may_ always_ view sacrifice as a necessary part of progress, but in this case…"

Erwin gave a long sigh and looked at Levi directly with a conflicted expression, "Truthfully Levi, all taunting and jeering aside…I'm not satisfied either. Lives are a precious resource, and we can't throw good men away just because we're short on raw materials. Like Petra said, there's _got _to be a better way here, but I'm not seeing a path forward and I'm making the most decisive call I can make that will save as many lives as I'm able to. Petra though…she wants to make a difference, and her time has come. Problem is her skills are too raw to be dependable and that's where you come in. You _need _to push her Levi, because I think she's our best bet, but she needs_ you_ to succeed."

At Erwin's explanation, his expectation that he would fall in line and push Petra to the unthinkable, Levi ground his teeth and sneered, hating the vicious gambles that Erwin made use of and hating even more that he wasn't wrong.

The Captain turned toward the door, pausing in place as he spoke over his shoulder, "You can go fuck yourself Erwin."

And with that, he left.

…

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End of Chapter

* * *

…

Hey guys – obviously as the reader you are legit welcome to love/hate whatever characters you want of course, so feel_ no_ obligation the change your thoughts when I say that I am a big, big fan of Erwin. I love his twisted mind; I love the fact that he's bold enough to make those tough judgement calls that make most people gape – where they would unintentionally make an even worse call by doing _nothing_, Erwin rather faces the fact that it takes a understanding that yes its horrible, but that's just the nature of the beast so bring on the bodies- I have immense respect for that because _someone_ has to be that guy, and he's just disciplined enough to make it happen.

Personally, I have seen a few stories where Erwin is shady in a bad guy way, and allow me to just remind that Levi trusts this guy implicitly and decided on almost a whim to follow him to the very end. This _should_ speak volumes of Erwin's canonical character, and I tried my darndest to keep true to that – of that charming, big smile that goes from warm and heartfelt to bone chilling in a mere two seconds; someone who makes those crazy plans and judgement calls, and uses people to the upmost if it means there's a chance they come out ahead.

Granted, knowing this, Levi isn't exactly thrilled to hear that Petra's getting thrown in the mix, and thus we have our above confrontation. Do with this information as you will, I just felt like giving my two cents on the subject matter :)

Till next week yall,  
Midnight


	33. The One Where They don't Agree

Hey team,

Ugh, sorry for the lateish upload. I was sitting here on my couch, playing Pokemon Sword because, Hi New Pokemon Gen, how are ya? When my husband was like, so any new reviews yet? And I gave him the derpiest look because I had NO idea what he was talking about. He's all…you _did_ upload this morning didn't you? *insert long, long silence*

OH NO!

Hahaha, so very sorry guys. I take my gaming seriously and completely forgot about it (so yall be grateful to him, as I may have not realized it until this evening!), but I am happy to say that I did all the edits and everything last night so we are good to go.

Yall enjoy, watch the Cheifs slay tomorrow night, yall keep playing that pokemon, and I'll see you next week!

…

* * *

...

Levi walked back into the compound, planning to go straight to his room and attempt to blow off some steam by doing pushups or crunches; some menial exercise that would serve to keep him busy while his mind wrestled with Erwin's latest gamble and Petra's apparent involvement.

As he moved down the hall, he noticed that Petra was already there, stationed outside his bedroom door and staring down at the floor in a manner where her hair veiled her face and shielded her expression from him.

She looked up just slightly, likely able to hear his boots tapping across the ground as he walked, but she didn't raise her eyes to meet his gaze and said absolutely nothing, so he decided to walk by her in silence because he wasn't sure what to say at a time like this and wasn't quite decided on how he wanted to handle things on his end.

As for Petra, with more pressing thoughts swarming through her head, Levi's cold and standoffish demeanor didn't both her like it normally would have, and she didn't question why he didn't stop and ask her what she was thinking or how she was taking everything. His menial questions wouldn't have mattered anyway. All she could see were the numbers, her friends, the Scouts that she saw on a day to day basis. Who had she unknowingly sent straight to their deaths in her attempts to be helpful? More than who, how many? Erwin had said twenty, but that had been for more sake of argument than an actual estimation. She knew the numbers better than he did at this point, so it wouldn't be hard to figure out. Off the top of her head, considering what she knew of the gas usage among each team, if the goal was thirteen percent less each month…perhaps…forty, fifty tops?

The more accurate estimate made her stomach churn violently, and she blinked the nausea away with wide eyes, swallowing thickly in attempts to maintain her composure and not start dry heaving.

Levi watched her obvious unease but continued to move past her in perfect silence, without so much as an acknowledgement that she was there at all.

Finally, she spoke.

"Captain…" she reached out as he walked by her, her hand lightly gripping onto his sleeve as he walked. Regardless the feather light pressure she had used that would hardly outpower him, he paused in place to confirm he was in fact listening, though remained staring forward, an intense expression across his face that was hard to read.

For a long moment, neither of them said anything, and she merely wrapped her hand around his sleeve more tightly, a slight tremble in her hold that wasn't remedied by her tightened grip. She swallowed again, finding it was difficult to breath, before giving a breath of an exhale, "Will you…will you spar me? Please?"

Levi turned his head slightly toward her, his interest more than peaked as a sort of concern grew within him, because Petra _lived_ to spar, greatly anticipated any time she could throw her fists around and try to damage her male peers, _himself especially_, but there wasn't a trace of the excitement that she normally displayed when requesting such a thing. She usually had a large smirk on her face that would turn to pathetic, childish begging if he didn't immediately give in.

He was used to her displaying a blend of fool hearty arrogance and raw anticipation, but with how her head was tilted to the floor now, the quiet mumble she spoke with - it was more like she was _ashamed_ of her request.

He looked at her in attempts to deduce her mental state, and with her head still down to the ground, she didn't notice his narrowed and appraising stare. She continued softly, "I…I need to be distracted right now, and I figured with your paperwork being all caught up that maybe-"

He turned towards her fully and crossed his arms, irritated by her uncharacteristic timidness. He rolled his shoulders until she released her grip, finding that her clinging onto him was all the more unsettling as it only highlighted her unease all the more, "It's fine. Is that all?"

She looked up toward him and gave a weak nod, and he nodded in return, "Then let's go."

He tilted his head and they walked side by side down the hall. While at first, Levi hadn't intended on saying anything – he didn't want to play into Erwin's hand and encourage her to sell her soul to the sadistic gambling idealist, but after hearing Erwin's full thoughts on the matter, hearing that Petra was the singular hope that held all the lives of their men, he couldn't deny that he was admittedly torn as to what sort of role he would inevitably play, and his initial rejection of Erwin's plan waivered in his mind because if she_ could _then…

Maybe Erwin was_ right_.

And yet, what kind of a monster would he have to be, if after everything he had done to Petra, and all the good and light and mercy that _she_ was to _him_ – how could he ever place such a burden on her?

He was hoping to just turn a blind eye - allow Petra to take whatever road she desired and help where and if she needed him - but seeing the hurt in her eyes, the concern and the absolute horror that shadowed her gaze as she considered the task at hand, he knew exactly where he stood with certainty.

He usually went along with Erwin, even when he didn't agree, even if it went against his better judgement, he trusted Erwin to bring about a future that Humanity couldn't even see, but for this…

Levi took a long inhale and shook his head.

Not this time.

"You know he's just using you." Levi stated simply, his words devoid of any emotions that implied it was a good or bad thing – as it was neither, it was merely a statement of fact.

She didn't look up toward him, and for a few moments all that could be heard was the light tapping of their boots across the tile as they walked side by side.

"…I know." She whispered quietly as they moved down the hall, and Levi looked at her directly, a now perturbed expression across his face from her unexpected admission.

He looked back down the hall after regaining his composure, "So why then? If you already know that then -"

"Because Captain," Petra actually _interrupted _him, "If the Commander is choosing to do such a thing and making it all my problem, it's only logical that it's because he's run out of all other options, and what's more, some part of him thinks there's a chance – even if it's just a small chance – that I might be able to change the final outcome."

Levi's mouth fell open for a fraction of a second for a second time, and though he recovered quickly enough, Petra had caught his surprise and gave a small hollow laugh in response, "Why are _you_ surprised? Either you hadn't thought of that yourself_, not likely_, or you thought that I was too naïve to see through his word play." She gave an accusatory stare at Levi's intentional silence, and she gave him a dark smirk, "I may be naïve when it comes to love or men or whatever, but at least in some areas, I'm not as stupid as I look. You should have more faith in me, Captain."

Levi gave a huff and corrected her as he remained staring at the path ahead "It's not that I think you're naïve Petra, it's that Erwin is that_ cunning_. I was afraid that you were being jerked around being none the wiser considering the limited work you do with him, and yet, with the way you tore out of his office, the fear in your voice even now as you think about his posed challenge – don't tell me you intend on walking down the path he's set for you."

When Petra didn't respond, Levi felt a growl build in his throat and an impatience bubble within him. He looked down at her with narrowed eyes, a harshness in his tone as he reprimanded her, "If you already knew his motive, then _why_ are you giving into his intent?"

"Because." She responded with a mournful exhale, "He's right in every way Captain, and we both know it. Manipulative or not, he isn't wrong when he stated that if it weren't for my work, they would have continued on as before and been none the wiser. While I know that Erwin's current plan will technically save lives, his big gamble here is that my moral base is so different than his, that even though it is 'less' lives, I will still be so outraged and so stubborn that I will refuse his decision outright and will work myself to exhaustion in order to find a better one - to essentially atone for my involvement."

Levi pressed his lips together and exhaled irritably, finding that the more they talked, the more and more against it he was becoming. It bothered him, immensely, that Petra knew full well what was going on, but was just _taking_ it without any regard for her own wellbeing. His words were clipped, frustration sparking and developing within him. "Erwin has gambled and lost before. Just because he placed his bets doesn't mean they are guaranteed to pay off. You still have a choice to bow out. If you're worried about fallout, don't be. Erwin wouldn't hold it against you, and I can make sure that-"

Petra laughed at his words, which only made his irritation spike all the more. He whipped his head toward her with an outraged glare, but the way she was already watching him took him off guard and made his anger wane. It wasn't of belittlement or pride – the look on her face, it was like she was…_apologizing_.

"Levi…I'm someone who is so stubborn and so extreme that I actually agreed to _marry_ someone I wasn't even involved with on a romantic setting_, just_ so I could get my way in the end and stay on the squad." When Levi's expression changed from barely contained wrath to obvious confusion, silently asking why she was bringing up such a thing at all, she gave a pained smile, "You think Erwin's not aware of just how stubborn and fool hearty I am? You think he _won't_ use my passion and unhealthy drive against me if it means that lives are spared? In some ways, I suppose I'd judge him if he _didn't_."

Levi found he was at a loss for words, and Petra dropped her gaze to the floor, giving an empty, cold chuckle, "It's like you said…I'm just a child who's never been told no before."

Levi was baffled for a moment, tongue tied at first and not even remembering having said anything like that before, but recalling the conversation they had in his office just yesterday. When he said that, he had been _teasing_ – poking fun at her because in some miraculous way she _did_ often come out on top – but before he could say anything to correct his meaning, Petra gave a sad sigh.

"And let's be honest, you of all people know better, so _you're_ the naive one if you think that I can just sit by when there's lives on the line that I can save. I've been up against unlikely circumstances before – hell my father all but closed the book on me, yet here we are over four months later, and I've grown so much. So I can't…I can't give up. I don't know how, but I'll face the odds and find a way because-"

At her increasingly sad explanation that was full of empty promises and obvious desperation – an underlying sorrow in each word she spoke - Levi stopped dead in his tracks, grabbing Petra by the arm and taking a step toward her. He looked at her seriously, and as her expression morphed into surprise, and then uncertainty and fear, Levi gave a long exhale.

Erwin really was a damned piece of work.

He was tempted to wrap his arms around her, to pull her flush against him and try to comfort her because it was obvious she was grasping at straws and on the verge of panic when faced with the responsibility that was the future of the entire Scout Regiment – a pressure that she should have _never_ been forced to bear - but something stopped him, and he merely left his hands over her arms.

"Petra, last time_ I'm _the one that came through for you. Don't forget that you're only standing here now because of the ring on your hand and _my_ last name."

She gave him a sudden glare - an attempt to mask the pain his words inflicted on her- and tried to pull herself out of his grasp with a look of hurt and betrayal. Levi exhaled, knowing his words had come out with more of a bite than he had intended. While he didn't indulge in his desire to hold her in his arms, he moved a hand up to her chin and gently lifted her head so she was looking at him again.

"Petra…" he sighed as his expression softened, "You need to understand that this isn't something I can help you with. I can't…I can't come bail you out in the end or come up with some miraculous solution that's going to fix this and make it all okay like I did the last time you were over your head. What Erwin is asking of you is unfair and nearing the impossible. I_ know_ you, and I know how hard these things weigh on you. As your husb-" Petra's eyes widened and Levi cleared his throat, "As your _Captain_, I'm worried it will break you."

A moment of silence fell over the pair because regardless his immediate correction, they both knew full well what he had intended to say. What he was saying, or better perhaps what he had _intended _to say, broke their unspoken rules to some extent. As for the _original_ rule that led to them getting married at all, they had both agreed that things would remain unchanged between them – that they would forever be just Captain and subordinate – and while both of them could agree at this point that things were different, neither of them were prepared to admit that they were in _any _specific relationship with the other, or in love, or anything that would complicate matters more than they already were.

Perhaps the rule now was a mutual rule to let chips fall where they may, pretend _not_ to notice the chemistry, not make any grand claims of feelings that forced the other's hand – there was comfort in the not knowing - but the fact that Levi had proactively said that he was actingas her _husband_ first, _then_ as her Captain, the implications that his surprisingly _passionate _statementraised…

"Levi, you just…" Petra mumbled in confusion, and she looked at him squarely for answers as her heart pounded wildly in her chest because he had never referred to himself as her husband unless it were for sheer irony, legal jargon, or unless it was followed by the terms 'only on paper.'

The way he watched her now, an unsettling obvious concern evident in his features, made her breath catch in her lungs and a flock of butterflies take flight in her stomach. She watched him nervously, not sure why she felt so unsure and breathless, "Levi, who is saying that? Levi, my Captain, who knows my skills and strengths and what I can and can't do, or Levi, my _husband, _who…maybe cares for me and is trying to protect me from getting hurt but…but, just doesn't know how to express it? I mean, _if_…he cares or..."

"He cares." Levi stated quickly, and Petra stood rigidly in place, not prepared for this conversation in the slightest because it was far more than either of them had bargained for, "Whether it's because I'm your Captain, or your husband, or both – just pick whatever will make you accept the fact that Erwin has _already_ worked out the best plan. Just…fucking let it go, Petra, please. I'm _trying_ to protect you and-"

"Levi…" she cut him off, placing a hand on his chest and looking up toward him with a broken smile, "You're a good man."

With that, like she had before in his office, she leaned up against him and gently pressed her lips against his, once again taking him by complete surprise. She was sweet and gentle and so trusting in his arms; he sighed and relaxed against her, finally allowing his hands to slide down her sides, coming to rest at her hips where he lightly pulled her to rest more closely against him, more than content to feel her against him and hold her close as she showered him with her gentle and peace granting affection.

She pulled away after a few tender, vulnerable kisses, her breath ghosting across his face as she spoke quietly, "Last time, you_ did_ come and bail me out, and I'll be forever grateful for that." She kissed him again, continuing after she pulled away further so she could watch him directly, "But now there are others that need help out of _their_ dire situation, and there's a chance I might be able to do something."

Hearing the direction the conversation was preparing to go, Levi looked down at her with sudden concern, having thought that she was giving into him, letting go of the issue and trusting him, and feeling a mix of surprise and betrayal when she only _continued_ undaunted, "Levi, don't you see? I _have_ to return the favor, it's only right that I extend that same devotion."

As Levi opened his mouth to respond, to once again remind her that Erwin was a master of manipulation, that he didn't want her getting involved in such schemes and that he wanted to safeguard her from the mental pain that was undoubtedly waiting for her - there was a sudden wolf whistle that echoed from the other end of the hall, and both Petra and his attention was pulled in alarm to where the guys had just come out of their room, likely preparing to go to the mess hall for dinner.

It was obvious that they had all seen their previous kiss, as simple as it was, and Petra gave a soft, mortified groan as her squad mates walked through the hallway with various reactions and responses.

"Ugh, gross." Oluo's voice was heard first, "Now _that's_ just uncomfortable for everyone."

"Hey hey Captain, don't you have a room for that?" Eld spoke next, "Or do you prefer to mix business with pleasure and make out in the office?"

"Nah Eld," Gunther all but snorted, "They're exhibitionists obviously, making out in the hall like that – Oi, Petra, if you want to wait for about thirty minutes, we'll be back with dinner. I've never been one for theatrics but if you guys want an audience _that _bad…"

Petra ground her teeth together, mumbling darkly to herself as a blush rose to her face, "Those fucks. I'm going to-"

As she shifted her weight to move down the hall, preparing to tighten her fists and go for _blood_ this time around, Levi's grip on her tightened and he leaned into her all the more, which only warranted more hoops and hollers and groans from the opposite end of the hall.

"Petra." He whispered in her ear seriously, his voice low and intense, apparently so focused on the conversation at hand that he hardly paid any mind to the Squad's jeering, "Please, fucking let it go. I don't want it to destroy you. I just told you that I…" he felt his throat tighten and he gave an impatient sigh, "_Tell me_ you're going to let it go."

He felt her give a long sigh, her lungs depleting as she remained pressed against him. Her voice was timid, cautious as she finally responded. Her fingers drummed against his collarbone nervously and it felt like an eternity passed before he heard her speak, "Is that…_an order_, Captain?"

He closed his eyes as a sort of sadness overcame him, because he knew Petra, and Erwin knew Petra, and all of them knew from the start what the outcome would be. He_ knew_ what her gut instincts told her to do, but he was hoping that if he maybe…then maybe, just maybe…

"_It's a request_." He whispered, feeling so exposed and raw as he pleaded with the woman in his arms, and he found himself holding onto her even_ more_ tightly as he awaited her answer.

"Levi…" she whispered his name softly, and he felt himself holding his breath anxiously as she took a breath of her own to respond, "You…you never gave up on me, right? So…it's only fair, it's only reasonable that I don't give up on them."

He felt a cold numbness grow in the pit of his stomach, as though the wind had been knocked out of him.

She was telling him no.

It wasn't enough for her. His advice, his asking, his vulnerability – past all of that, she wanted to go it alone and for what, to lose the same men and now lose _herself _along the way? He knew a bad idea when he saw one, knew better than she did the demons she would face, the abject loneliness and bitter _solitude_ of walking such a path - she couldn't comprehend the scars this would leave on her, and try as he may to say that he wanted better for her, wanted her to avoid that bottomless pit of sorrow and regret because he cared for her, perhaps far more than he was letting on even now…

He just wasn't enough for her.

Petra continued sadly, her voice somewhat strained as they remained in each other's embrace for a moment longer, "I'm sorry. But for what it's worth, this conversation means more to me than you realize, and I'm truly touched by your concern. I know you have your doubts, but I will do it, Levi. I _will_. And I'll…I'll make you proud, where you can just sit back for once, and watch me from the sidelines, okay? It's time that I stood on my _own_ two feet for a change."

With that, she gave him an apologetic frown as she pulled away from him, out of his arms, and he offered no resistance as she moved past him and toward the main hall to avoid further contact with either him or the squad.

"Uh oh, looks like someone got rejected!" Oluo called out with a smug sort of laugh, but when Levi turned around – not toward them but toward the direction that Petra had gone – there was a mix of anger and undeniable…._pain_ across his face.

Eld spoke next, his voice hushed and sharp with alarm, "Guys, shut the fuck up. Something's not right here."

"Please." Oluo responded flatly, his voice still raised as he was more than enjoying getting to rain down on their parade, "They got busted so now Petra's all embarrassed and the Captain's pissed cause he lost his make out buddy."

"No, Eld's right," Gunther whispered next, "Something must have happened, because…fuck, is the Captain okay? He's just…standing there. Eld, what happened? Will you go and…"

"Fuck no, he _just_ gave me the ass whipping of a lifetime yesterday for 'meddling' or whatever; if I go up to him now, Emily will be a widow before she even gets married! They're both adults. Whatever happened, they'll just have to sort through it on their own."

"…So we just do nothing then?"

"Well if_ you _want to know so bad, _you_ go and ask him!"

"And risk getting a black eye like you? Pass."

If Levi had heard them, they couldn't be too sure. It _seemed _unlikely, because his attention was so caught up on whatever was going on between him and Petra that he hadn't so much as _looked_ at them, even now.

After a few moments, when it was clear that Petra had no intention of coming back to him, Levi pressed his lips together and shook his head bitterly, "Fucking…" he muttered under his breath, before turning down the hallway and disappearing into his room with a deafening slam of the door.

...

* * *

...

There was a tense silence that blanketed Levi's office, though for himself personally, he wasn't all that bothered by it.

For Petra however, he was certain she found it to be unbearable, as she kept shifting in her chair, would lean herself toward the desk as though about to get to work, but then take what she _thought _was a secret glance up toward him from the corner of her eye, give a long sigh, and lean back into her chair as though about to say something, but never quite finding the nerve before stealing yet _another_ glance toward him.

While normally her agitation would set him on edge, in truth there was some part of him that rather enjoyed watching her squirm under the weight of his silent, but apparently _effective_, scorn and disapproval. It wasn't that he was outright trying to punish her for making a judgement call that differed from his per say, but to say that it didn't leave him a little miffed that she hadn't even considered his perspective (that came from_ years_ of experience she didn't have) would be an understatement, and as a result, he felt a sense of validation as she struggled to address the still-present tension between them.

They hadn't spoken since her decision to go rogue and go against his advice to not take the bait Erwin had laid out for her. Morning drills had gone well enough, though he had expected as much considering he knew Petra to be a professional through and through, but he hadn't known what to expect for this evening – if she would face him head on in his office, or conveniently avoid him for the night and give him more time to cool down.

He was pleasantly surprised when she appeared at his side, same time as usual, but their disagreement certainly had taken its toll because she was still very hesitant and had yet to say even a single word to him even though hours had passed by.

She suddenly cleared her throat, a new development from her previous fumbling about, and finally she looked up toward him directly. He almost chuckled at the palpable nervousness in her voice.

"So uh, Captain…"

"Petra." He acknowledged simply, not looking up from his desk as he continued to work on his paperwork, and he heard her give another uncertain sigh.

"I may not…well, I may not have a lot of time right now, to help out with your paperwork for a while? You know, with Erwin's…" she swallowed then, beginning to chew on her lower lip nervously, "I'm sorry I guess, I feel bad about it but-"

"Apparently not _that _bad." He interjected, finally looking up from his desk and meeting her gaze firmly. "If you did, you would have already changed your mind and said fuck it to Erwin's baiting, but no, the folders in front of you have nothing to do with the squad's monthly reports and you are still off on your suicidal mission to make the sadist happy." He wasn't _technically_ angry with her, and his tone wasn't overly firm or cold toward her as he spoke, though Petra looked intimidated just the same.

She looked down into the folders in front of her, manila folders marking year numbers instead of specific reports that she would be utilizing if it was for the purpose of filling out their more traditional paperwork, and looked back at him apologetically, finding no immediate response as she watched him.

He merely rolled his eyes, "If you're _going _to have the balls to disagree with me, the least you could do is show some damned pride in the fact that you're _confident_ enough, _more like stupid enough_, to butt heads with me, and _not_ watch me with those puppy dog eyes like you're doing right now. My thoughts on the matter won't be changing, no matter _how_ big those eyes get, so you may as well just accept it and get to work. Unless you're _that_ torn up about it, in which case-"

Petra gave a loud sigh, this time of aggravation, and she looked at him with a suddenly stern expression, "All do respect Captain, but I couldn't care less if you disagree with me. What _I _care about is…"

He watched her in challenge, quirking an eyebrow in question, and his tense expression must have put her off because she blushed and rolled her eyes in obvious frustration, "…Okay then, fine. I see how it is. Look, never mind. Just work on your stupid papers; see if I care."

"What?" he asked darkly, admittedly curious as to what she had wanted to say and why she had to so crassly state for a second time that she didn't _at all _value his input on the matter, but no, she had decided to go all-out _bitch mode _on him with her stubborn 'see if I care' speech.

She merely pressed her lips together and opened a folder in a tense silence of her own, now making a point of giving him the cold shoulder. Levi gave a 'tch' and also returned to his paperwork, thoroughly frustrated by the woman who was so beautifully exasperating it almost pained him.

_Women._

"Are you going to be able to keep up, without_ my_ help?" she asked tensely in an obvious attempt to bait as the silence thickened, and he exhaled through his nose. She was going to have to try harder than that to get under his skin, because though her question was annoying, it didn't bother him all that much.

"Not much of a choice, is there." He wrote a few numbers across his page, his pen tapping firmly against the paper as he spoke in contained irritation, "Besides, you're working for the Commander now, right? You must think you've got it all figured out."

Okay, so maybe it bothered him a little.

"Don't start with me, Levi." She hissed darkly, also speaking tensely as she spoke into the folders in front of her, looking at the documents it contained with narrowed eyes, "You know it has nothing to do with…what _ever_ it is you're hinting at, be it a promotion, or piety or money, to _hell_ with that – I care about the lives I've put at risk and until I can make it right by offering the Scouts, _all of them_, a fighting chance, then my decision _also_ won't be changing. So. You can take your guilt trip and shove it where the sun don't shine, Mr. Holier than Thou."

His eyebrows rose and he merely nodded sarcastically, turning a page and continuing to write, "Ah yes, because_ I'm_ the one that's throwing all caution to the wind for the mere sake of 'morality' and 'greater good', no matter the cost to myself and no matter the fact it's damn near impossible. Right, that Superhero shit is _all me_, all day, every day."

Petra slammed her folder down fiercely, slapping her hand down onto his desk in the same motion and looking at him in unrestrained fury, "Captain! Do you _hear_ yourself right now? For your information, I actually found something I'm good at that's unique to_ me_. You of_ all_ people should know how important that is to me, and now, the _first time_ I actually get to use my personal skills for something that even _remotely_ matters, it does the exact opposite of my intention and instead of helping people, it just means that people die. And….and you're telling me I just have to accept that?"

Levi looked over toward her in equal frustration, "Yes!"

She looked away from him with a roll of her eyes and Levi pressed his teeth together, reaching across the corner of his desk toward her and grabbing her chin so she faced him again. His grip was firm, but not enough to harm her. She glared at him heatedly, and he spoke with a harshness that rivaled her own, "You want to know about my role? You want to learn about what it means to be a Commanding Officer? It's time you fucking woke up and smelled the damn coffee; it's not all sunshine and rainbows here, Petra! We all make decisions like this constantly, and _every_ time we do, someone dies. Someone _always _fucking dies, and if you _can't_ learn to make peace with that, if you want to live life and not stain your hands with blood, the best thing you can do for yourself is put down your fucking little papers, get out of my office, and go do whatever shit that the rest of the Scouts do with their downtime, because you're in over your head and setting yourself up to be severely disappointed if you think this is a one off scenario that's just so fucking unique to you."

Petra's eyes narrowed and Levi leaned closer toward her as he continued to speak, "Let's say you_ do _save them; will that spare them come the next expedition? How about the one after that? What will you do come the next time that Erwin backs you into a corner with other risky situations that require your skills of deducing probability and other alternative options, or haven't you thought of that yet? Lives will be on the line then too you know; will you really be able to turn him down because the circumstances are just _so_ different? You'll only help if it's your 'fault'? Perhaps the lives _then_ will mean less than they do _now_? That's called hypocrisy Petra, so don't preach to me about double standards when you're looking at this so flippantly without any regard for the doors this will open in your future and the lives you'll impact as a result."

"Levi, stop." She whispered firmly, and he merely shook his head once.

"Let me tell you something, _Mrs. Ackerman_." He whispered lowly, "I can hear myself _just fine_, and to me, it sounds like I am being a _good Captain_ that has _been_ in your shoes and is trying to give you some fucking advice to spare you some regret and heartache. You need to ask yourself where the line gets drawn so that you can protect _yourself_ – or could it be that you _are_ truly naïve enough to believe that you are incapable of failure if you, what, just _believe_ in yourself enough, or perhaps if your heart is pure and you want it bad enough, it'll all just work itself out in the end? Wake the fuck up."

Petra whipped her head to one side in a show of defiance, though she slowly returned his gaze in anger, "Listen Captain. We are fundamentally_ different_; you swear on the dead – you make your foundations over the past and what was._ I_ look to the future, and I swear on the lives of the living and I _will_ figure this out. I don't need your-"

"I look to the _future_." He repeated with a sarcastic snort and actually _laughed_ at her words, "Fuck does that even mean? Shit, it's like you're trying to sound grounded and philanthropic but don't even know heads from tails so you're just making up symbolic shit to say to placate your own self-doubt because you really_ haven't_ thought ahead in the slightest." He kept laughing and rolled his eyes, "Fucking hell woman, do whatever you're going to do in the end, just don't bullshit me because I've been at this longer than you've been_ alive_ and I can see right through it."

Petra gave an offended click of her tongue at his interrupting and subsequently_ laughing_ at her, and was suddenly on her feet, glaring at him with a fierce expression and grabbing folders into her arms in a barely restrained frenzy.

…Perhaps he had crossed a line…

"Where are you going?" he asked in a groan, bringing a hand to his face and rubbing his temples as she continued grabbing papers until her arms were overloaded with documents.

"To my room." Petra said curtly as she continued to place even more folders in her arms. At this rate she was grabbing so many she'd clean him out completely, and even still she was grabbing more. "You are being _insufferable_, and I have work to see to that doesn't involve your spite and jackassery. Asshole."

"Those documents are mine." He stated in an exhale, and he heard her snort.

"Well I'll be sure to not get them too dirty come the time I return them to you; when _I_ see fit!" she all but shouted the last sentence at him as she marched toward the door, and he groaned loudly, frustration clearly getting the best of both of them because not less than five minutes ago they had been sitting in the room in albeit tense, but_ amicable_ silence.

He didn't agree with her, he didn't think she was ready for this – no, he_ knew_ she wasn't ready for this, yet even still…

"Petra, wait."

She was stationed at the doorway and turned around, watching him with an expression that he could only interpret as 'The fuck is it now?' He allowed himself a moment to reign his frustration under control and he tried to watch her calmly, "What were you going to say before?"

"Before what?" she snapped waspishly.

He exhaled. "When you said 'never mind'. You were about to say what you cared about was…" he shrugged in question, "But then…"

"Ah yes, but _then_ you were being a jackass, so I stopped!"

He didn't say anything, and Petra stalled in step as he watched her curiously, watching as she rocked back and forth on her feet as though not sure if she was going to indulge his question or not. Eventually, she leaned onto the door frame, "Well. You won't like the answer, Captain, but since you asked."

She gave a long exhale, and when she responded, her voice was considerably softer, "I _was _going to say that I didn't care that you disagreed with me, because that's going to happen, but what I cared about through it all was…" she paused and looked at him tensely, still finding that she was irritated with him and didn't want to linger in his presence, "Never mind, okay? I've got work to get done and-"

"Petra, _please_ tell me?" Levi crossed his arms, and fixed her with an expectant stare.

She gave a tense exhale, still irritated at his cold words, but she supposed if he wanted to know _that_ bad, then…

"You." She stated directly with a nod, "I was going to say that above all…I cared about _you_. Happy now?"

Levi was surprised, his eyebrows drawing together in confusion, and Petra adjusted the folders in her arms as a silence fell across the room, some of the fire dying within her after seeing Levi's surprise. She looked toward him and gave a shrug, "Levi, look – we're husband and wife now, and I'll spare you the trouble here, '_only on paper'_ \- so like it or not, we're going to be rubbing shoulders with each other for a _long_ while and that means we're both going to make decisions that the other won't always agree with. You'll want to do dangerous things that will make me furious and nervous and completely terrified for your life, but…I know that my feelings won't stop you for even a moment, because that's just who you are, and I'd never expect you to stand down and deny yourself because of how it makes _me_ feel. I need you to understand that this is something I have to do because it's who _I _am. It's not personal, it doesn't mean I don't care about you, but I will not give up on someone if there's the remote chance that I can help them. That kindness is embedded in my very soul and even if it leads to the all-out death of me, it will be my constant driving force to the very end. Please don't hold that against me, or think that it's some sort of defiance or disrespect towards you because it's _not_. Lives are on the line, and even if, like you said, it's a temporary solution to a permanent problem, is it so wrong to want to_ try? _Temporary or not, it would still be a solution just the same._" _

She took another inhale and nodded towards him, "But. I know that my decisions have consequences, and I know in that my choosing this path, even if you don't have the words to articulate it yourself, well…I know that this hurts you, a lot. It may very well be the deepest that I've cut you yet and it just…damn, it really messes me up because you _finally _chose to be vulnerable with me, and communicate your actual wants and desires and in the end…I rejected it anyway. Some wife I turned out to be, huh?" she gave a chuckle that carried more pain than amusement, and she looked toward him with a look similar to what she had watched him with before their more heated discussion had taken place.

He understood now, and while he didn't regret any of his words, it was clear that Petra wasn't regretting her _decision_ at all –no, she was lamenting the rift in their _relationship_, and he felt foolish for not having realized that from the start.

"I'm…so sorry, Levi. Truly. I'm sorry for hurting you." She normally struggled to meet his gaze when saying such things, but now he wished she _would_ look away from him, because the intensity of her stare was overwhelming and made his stomach twist in knots, "I wanted to say earlier that even though I'm doing something you disapprove of, I wanted…_us_…" she whispered the word so quietly, as though she didn't know if she was allowed to use such a word when referring to them, "To be okay. Even through all of this, I want you to open up to me, you know? I _want_ to hear what's on your mind; if you're angry, or if you're sad, or hell, even if you're just pissed off that something is dirty – I want to know you better, and now… I am so afraid that I messed something up with this whole thing and that really makes me worry because I kinda feel that, maybe we're finally getting things right, finding a sort of balance that works for us. I want you to trust me but…if you can't right now because you're hurt or angry or whatever you're feeling, that's okay. I understand that I hurt you and I know…you need time."

At her words, Levi could feel his heart pounding in his chest and a tightness in his throat that prevented him from speaking – though with how surprised he was by the sheer innocence and honesty in her words and the desperate way she watched him even now, he doubted his mind would have been able to put a sentence together in the first place. Was he blushing after hearing the unguarded sincerity she spoke with? The fact that she was so directly telling him that her desire was just to share her life with him, that she sincerely wanted to know him, just for the mere sake of knowing him – that resonated with him on a level that took him off guard. He may have indeed been blushing, but he could only focus on Petra, that and the vulnerable, crest fallen look on her face as she attempted to give him a brave smile.

"Just…if you can find it in yourself to forgive me? I know it's selfish of me to ask, but…maybe, don't wait too long? I can't stand it when you're mad at me, so if you can track me down sometime and just, I don't know, maybe smirk, or shoot some sarcastic comment my way about how short I am, or hell, even more wise cracks about sunsets and conversations would be welcome at this point – just so I know." She readjusted the many folders in her arms and looked back toward him, "I just want to know that we're okay, before another three weeks goes by and I'm crying in my room alone again."

Petra blinked at her last statement, a blush coming to her face, "Oh uh…you…probably didn't need to know…that…"

Petra gave a single embarrassed nod of her head and closed the door behind herself in an instant, rather sudden retreat, and as she scampered away down the hall, Levi couldn't understand in the slightest why after listening to her vehemently apologize to _him_, why _he _was the one that suddenly felt guilty.

…

* * *

End of Chapter

* * *

…

So this chapter is also one of my favorites, for being a relatively low key chapter at least. I personally love the moral debates that occur here between Levi and Petra, and I love seeing them outright bicker so childishly because that familiarity is there, so the professionalism that we may have once seen between them, goes out the window because they aren't trying to impress each other like you would in a traditional coworker setting.

These are all my personal notes, so as always they don't have to sway your opinions or what stands out to you – but I think my favorite thing Levi calls her out on here is when he's like, you haven't even thought this through in the least, and you are so disillusioned to think that if you just _want it _bad enough, it'll happen. In his eyes, that's an insult to everyone who's given it their all and failed and _died_, so irritably asks her what makes _you_ so special?

And Petra, being so taken a back by his callous (but valid!) point that she just stands up and leaves. Ahhhh I love it so much. Alright yall, I'll let you be. Sorry for breaking the normal routine! I'll see you all, on time, next week!

~Midnight


	34. The One that's no Shoulder

Hey yall!

Happy Sunday and thanks for all the well wishes. I'm afraid my peril of sickness was more than just a mere cold. I got that evil bronchitis, who knew. So I have been feeling terrible now for almost a solid two weeks, and it's not even true cold and flu season yet. Yippee.

As for last chapter, again, thank you, thank you, thank you for all your praise and thoughts and comments. I hope you know that I read each and every comment thoroughly (probably no less than 10 times), and it legitimately helps me in the writing process – knowing that what I'm intending to dictate, where they are in their relationship, the struggles they are facing – if that's _properly_ coming across or not to you as a reader. So while I know that my more, heh heh, steamy chapters will pull in more comments because we all love those moments where our blockhead couple gets it right for a change – I love the feedback and thoughts for the more subdued chapters, where we get through more plot and character development.

All that to say, that as always, I will thoroughly again declare that I have the best readers on the entire site. Yall keep me writing!

...

* * *

...

Petra was staring into the diagram, eyes narrowed as she used her other hand to flip through an adjacent folder, comparing notes between the two pages when a knock caught her attention.

Before she could even respond, her door creaked open and Levi peered into her room.

"Hey, Captain." She greeted simply, looking back at the papers in front of her almost immediately. She wasn't trying to give him the cold shoulder anymore, she just didn't want to lose her focus. Many of these documents were the same ones she had reviewed not so long ago with him, so while they were already fairly familiar to her, she reviewed each line carefully, because there had to be something she had missed – an angle that no one had thought to consider that might just change everything.

"Your door was unlocked…" he stated in question, and Petra felt a smile creep onto her lips.

"Yeah? Well perhaps I was hoping that I might end up having company."

"I see." Levi walked further into her room, resting back against her dresser as he looked down at her to where she was seated on the floor, "Even still, you're up late. Curfew was a few hours ago you know – I was actually expecting you to be in bed already."

"Checking up on me?"

He shrugged passively and Petra nodded, still staring into the papers in a focused manner, "Yeah sorry, I just really want a solid head start on this is all. See if there's anything that maybe takes me by surprise – perhaps something I didn't look over as well as I should have; you know, just find a good angle of attack I suppose. I didn't think I'd actually be up this late."

"I understand, just don't make a habit of it. Curfew is in place for a reason."

She glanced up toward him for a mere moment, a light smirk on her face, "Oh but aren't _you_ setting a wonderful example?"

Levi merely gave a 'hmph' and after a few passing moments of comfortable silence, Petra groaned as she set the folder down and rubbed her eyes in protest, admittedly exhausted because all the numbers were starting to look the same.

"You know what irritates me, Captain?"

"…Oluo."

"Well, yes," she agreed after a moment of thought, smiling at his cheeky words before shaking her head, "But no. No, what drives me insane is that we_ just_ looked at this. I know that the solution is out there, I just…" she groaned and shook the folder slightly, "Ugh, I just don't know where the right numbers are hiding!"

Levi merely watched her in silence, and she returned back to the papers in front of her, a focused expression across her face.

Neither felt the need to speak just for the mere sake of speaking, Petra busy with her work, Levi not bothered by the silence, so the two continued to remain in the other's company; enjoying the simplicity of their presence alone without the need to force conversation or entertain the other.

For some time Levi had stood against her dresser, watching her work passively, though eventually they both moved to more comfortable positions. At first Levi had shifted to where he was sitting on the middle of her bed, and Petra continued to make passing comments about her findings and further frustrations or theories she had. As the night progressed even further, he eventually laid out over the expanse of her bed – something Petra didn't even notice until she had to adjust her own position on the floor because her back was getting rather stiff from sitting hunched over for so long.

When she saw her Captain lounging out across her bed, an arm resting over his eyes in attempt to block out the light, she couldn't help the smile that pulled at her lips, certain that very few would ever see Levi so…relaxed. The fact he felt so comfortable around her that he _could _relax so freely, spoke volumes of his trust, and a blush rose to her cheeks as she surveyed his stretched-out form.

Deciding that perhaps a break was in order, she set her papers down and crawled to the edge of her bed, sitting up on her knees and watching him from the floor for a long moment, admittedly grateful for the change of pace. She was about to speak, ask him some menial question about if her bed was more comfortable than his, when he gave a long sigh of an exhale and Petra blinked, realizing that he had actually _fallen asleep_.

She had seen him asleep multiple times before, but that had been when he was sick and his sleep lacked the peaceful calm that he had now. His lips were slightly parted, his breathing low and even - she would have killed to see what he looked like asleep like this, _without _his arm blocking the majority of his face from view, but she knew full well that the moment she tried to move his arm he'd probably _crush_ her hand in outright surprise from being woken so suddenly. She doubted he had even intended on falling asleep to begin with, but she supposed it was getting rather late and leadership had only recently returned from their long journey less than three days ago.

He must have been exhausted.

She gave a sigh and continued watching him, shaking her head as thoughts rose within her mind. Now that she thought about it, she hadn't even stopped to ask why he had come to her that night. Though they spent almost every evening together in his office, for obvious reasons they didn't traditionally visit each other in their private bedrooms. While it wasn't uncommon for Levi to walk her _to_ her bedroom at night or have a short conversation with her about this or that, he made a point of not lingering, _especially_ after the night where she had so clumsily attempted to all-out seduce him in her emotional stupor. It was more than just to keep gossip at bay, it was because they themselves were still trying to walk that blurred line over what was appropriate, what felt comfortable, what they _wanted _in their testing and pushing of the other's boundaries, and what all out crossed the line for one or both of them.

It was exhausting, now that she thought it all over, because she knew full well that if Levi asked her outright what she wanted, in _words_ she would have likely responded even now that she didn't want _anything_ from him. They had both agreed from day one that they didn't want any strings attached, wanted to avoid a complicated relationship, and it was easier when things were just kept strictly professional. It was _easy._ While there was a lining of truth to that considering she did enjoy their current work relationship…

Petra frowned and shook her head sadly.

"It's all just a lie." she whispered softly into the night air, finding that some part of her _needed_ to say these things to him because to deny them even now was just…_confusing_. She spoke softly, so softly that he wouldn't wake up, but perhaps…maybe some part of his subconscious _would_ hear her words and know. She wanted to believe that if he ever doubted her or questioned where she really stood, some part of him might remember her words and take comfort in them, because she would never be able to say such words directly to him – not with things as they were now. They were both uncertain and didn't want to hurt the other, nor did they want to damage…whatever it was that they _did_ have.

"Honestly Levi, six months ago it was completely true, and I never wanted a relationship with you or anyone – but _especially _not with you, because you just seemed so above me, not to mention your rank, and your status as my Commanding Officer…Gods, _never_ with you." she gave a quiet sigh and shook her head mournfully, "But then the stupid marriage happened, and Captain…._you were wrong._ Have you figured that out yet, I wonder?"

She swallowed and gave him a forgiving smile that he would never see, "You were so wrong about everything, and here I was, stupid enough to _believe_ you. You're Captain Levi, so of course you'd be right, right? I mean, you're _always_ right."

She gave a quiet laugh, but her smile fell as she watched him with a sort of growing melancholy, because the more she thought it over, the more gloomy it made her feel, "You said nothing would change, but _everything_ has changed. You said you would be my Captain and that I would be your subordinate, same as always – so why then, Captain - why is it that you are so much _more_ to me than _just_ my Captain now? I mean, look at us, right _now_ \- you're asleep on _my_ bed, and I'm whispering nonsense in your ear like we're…like we're lovers or something. The Levi I knew six months ago wouldn't even come _near_ my bed, so how is any of this _not changed?_"

She couldn't stop the impulse and carefully, gently brushed her fingers through his tidy hair, ensuring she was still careful and her touch a mere whisper that wouldn't pull him out of his slumber, "And what's more, I crave you now, like some sort of drug addict or something. I want your attention, and your time, and your touch, and your kiss – gods, your kiss." She groaned to herself in a whisper, blushing even though no one else would hear her words but her, "The way you kiss me makes me so damn confused, because you_ say_ you want to be alone, but…everything _else_ about you says that you don't, and then I…" she groaned again, "Why in heaven's name do you have to be so damn attractive? It's just not fair! Would it_ kill_ you to tone down on the masculinity every once in a while? I'm trying to behave, just like you said, because I know that would make everything ten times more complicated and it's a bad time to try and start that battle, but then you keep distracting me and reeling me in because it's _you_ and -"

She continued running her hand ever so gently through his hair, listening to his breathing to ensure that it remained unlabored and even, as she didn't want her musings to be overheard by him or anyone else.

She paused for a moment and watched him in question mournfully, "And just what am I supposed to do? I don't _know_ what my feelings are any more, and I certainly have no idea what yours are – and honestly, I'm afraid to ask, because I don't know what I want to hear the most. I'm glad that I mean more than nothing to you, and yesterday you admitted that you even _cared _for me, but that's still so vague. Is it possible…for you to perhaps, maybe…_love_, someone like me? And if so, is that even the direction you'd want things to go? Is that where_ I_ want things to go? I'm not…" she exhaled sadly and shook her head in indecision, "I'm not so sure anymore. When you said we'd get married I was _so_ certain, because it all seemed so black and white and it made just enough sense in the chaos to sound like a perfect solution. I was tunnel visioned, so focused on just getting to stay in the military that I didn't think about the possibilities or the consequences. But now, _now_ I'm not sure about anything anymore…"

She looked back at her sleeping Captain, and gave a small shadow of a smile, leaning toward him and whispering even more quietly to account for her sudden closeness. It was strange, but as she spoke the thoughts that had clouded her mind for so long now, all she wanted was to be close to him – the man that had aligned his life to hers and was just as much along for the ride as she was; the only man that would truly understand her heart for he had been right there _with_ her, through the fire and confusion and growing pains, step for step.

She bit her lower lip and grinned at her quiet secret, "Well…I suppose there is _one_ thing I know for certain, Captain: You're not ever going to have to worry about me chasing after someone else, or sneaking around or embarrassing you by being unfaithful."

She gave another pitiful laugh and shrugged at the truth of it all, "…No thanks to you, Levi, you're it. You're the only man I'll ever want to chase after, the only man that I'll want to stand beside, and the only man that I'll ever want to be with when-"

She trailed off as she watched him, and before she even knew what she was doing, she had leaned forward and pressed her lips against his.

She kissed him firmly, more firmly than she had before in his office or in the hall, because after spilling her heart and admitting the words that had been plaguing her relentlessly over the past few months, she knew that in that moment, if only for that moment, Levi was all she wanted and she would be damned if she didn't make good on it at least this one time.

Levi jolted to life in alarm, and as though expecting him to retaliate negatively, Petra had already laced her fingers through his hand, pushing his arm up from off his face and toward the head of the bed so he wouldn't be tempted to take a swing at her from sheer surprise. His eyes were wide as Petra continued kissing him, emboldened by his response when he merely returned her kiss passionately without a second thought, not needing to ask for explanation or demand to know what she was doing, apparently just so contented with her kiss that the why's simply didn't matter.

She shifted her weight off the floor and crawled onto her bed effortlessly, hardly even thinking twice before she moved directly on top of him, hovering over his stomach and leaning over him to kiss him desperately, her hand still entwined in his as she placed her free hand across the mattress to hold herself up.

Levi used his free hand and ran his fingers up her arm that was pressed into the mattress ever so slightly, down her side and settling at her waist, the gentleness of his ghost-like caress making her skin tingle and a pleasant warmth run across her body in response. As he pushed his neck upward to meet her kiss, he paused and took a moment to look at her body that was hovering directly over his, amused and intrigued that she was so bold as to outright climb _on top of him,_ even going as far as to hold his arm up above his head in a sort of dominant display. He smirked as his eyes trailed back up to her face slowly and he traced his fingers over her jawline, "Hell of a way to wake a man, Petra."

He grabbed her wrist and pulled her arm out from beneath her, earning a slight squeak from Petra as she fell downward, having been using that arm to hold herself up previously. Levi caught her by the shoulder before she fell completely and smirked at her breathless expression. Before she could react further, he pulled her down on top of him directly, shifting them both onto their sides in the next moment so their position was a little _less _intimate as they laid out across her mattress instead.

He _had_ originally intended to switch their positions entirely, eager to pull her onto her back and align his body above hers, hold her arms tightly above_ her _head and feel her smooth curves press against him as she breathed, feel her arch into him or twist up against him as she tested his strength, but as she simply laid beside him, breathless and beautiful and smiling sweetly, he found he was content just to be at her side.

He pulled her against his chest, fingers twisting into her hair while his other hand rested at the small of her back, pushing her closer toward him as she brought her hands to his face, pulling him to meet her lips delicately, a sweetness and a calm to her actions. Their actions were different than they had ever been previously, neither driven by lust so much as comfort, trust, and acceptance of the other. They continued kissing softly, whispering unhurried and gentle encouragements and exchanging quiet moans that cut through the silence of the night, neither trying to push the boundaries any farther than their lips meeting because not so far off was the rest of the squad's dorm room. Even though they had every 'right' to behave however they wanted within the confines of their marriage, they weren't exactly ready to be caught, because the squad would want answers to the very same questions they themselves had been expertly avoiding for so long now.

Eventually, Petra was laying against her mattress, her back pressed against Levi's chest as he held her simply, their previous affections coming to a gentle and unhurried end, both content to just remain in each other's arms because a certain Captain would have to retire back to his quarters sooner rather than later and they were both putting off goodbye.

It was as they were relaxed against Petra's bed peacefully that Levi had lifted his head slightly, only somewhat paying attention as he moved his arm upward, remembering that there was still a conversation he had wanted to have with her before he took his leave for the night and before she outright fell asleep in his arms. As he sat up just slightly, up and onto his side, he had intended to grab her shoulder and change her position; move her onto her back so he could look at her and explain his thoughts while able to meet her gaze directly, but as he was lost in his own thoughts and misread the curve of her body, he found that as his hand moved upward to grab her opposite shoulder – it wasn't her_ shoulder _that he grabbed.

No, the mound that was in his hand was soft, pleasantly warm, and molded perfectly, _desirably_ into his hold – he released his grip immediately because it was obvious that was _no_ shoulder, but the damage was done.

They both went rigid, because even though it had been an honest mistake, there had been an undeniable level of…._squeezing_ that occurred, as he had intended to grab her and _turn_ her toward him, and what was worse, the sharp gasp that she had taken, the air that filled her lungs from her warranted surprise, had only made her press herself even_ further_ into his hold. He clamped his eyes shut and raked the offending hand through his hair, admittedly rather mortified by his mistake because it was undeniable that he had _wanted_ to touch her in such ways, but not…never like _that_.

All at once he could see visions of Petra, storming to Erwin's office, arms crossed over her chest as she explained in embarrassment and tears that she had been outright _assaulted_. His own _wife _would have to file a restraining order against him. Erwin would demote him then and there, and Petra would be off his squad faster than he could say 'Fuck.' After that, the men would try to murder him in his sleep for weeks on end because of what he had done. Worse still…they'd _never_ come to perfect the Omega formation.

His mind continued to produce new scenarios of the aftermath, each worse than the last, and he knew he had to fix this before the worst should happen.

He held his hand up, far away from her body and groaned in utter remorse, "Fuck, sorry Petra, honest I just meant to-"

She still had_ yet_ to move, and he could only imagine the expression on her face because her neck was burning red to the extent he could _feel_ heat radiating off her skin, so he knew full well that her face had already darkened to match. He was about to reach toward her again, in attempts to correct the situation and apologize directly to her face, but instead dropped his hand to his side, hesitant to touch her after committing such a blunder. He swallowed thickly, finding his throat felt tight as a palpable nervousness overcame him.

"I was _trying_ to-"

Before he could finish his attempt at an explanation, Petra spoke up, her voice a faraway mumble, "I would have never guessed that you would go so low as to _cop a feel,_ but then again-"

"No!" he cut her off, words flying out of his mouth before he could think them over appropriately, "It's not like that! If you, fuck…look, if it makes you feel better, maybe you can grab _me_ or-"

"_What?_" Petra squeaked immediately in a mortified whisper, instantly sitting up from the bed and turning around to watch him in shock, her face positively _glowing_ red from embarrassment at his suggestion, "I was…I was _kidding _Levi, I know it was an accident so I wasn't going to…" she shook her head and blinked with considerably wide eyes, "And grab you _where_ exactly?!"

At her startled, stammering question, Levi gave her a blank, 'Oh shit' stare, and at his horrified, open mouthed, completely caught off guard expression, Petra's embarrassment left her at once because the expression on_ his _face was so…_unlike_ Levi that she couldn't take him seriously. As much as she _was_ embarrassed and taken aback by his brazen touch, having been outright grabbed and fondled by her own Captain without warning…she began laughing outright, because his expression, the circumstance, his 'solution' to make it right - was just too much.

Her shoulders heaved as the hilarity of the situation overwhelmed her, laughter continuing to bubble up from her chest the more she thought about it, and while at first Levi could only glare at her laughter, finding it irritating how often Petra seemed to be laughing at his expense as of late, he supposed this time he had brought it on himself, and eventually a smile pulled at his lips that evolved into a slight chuckle of his own. He supposed that there _was_ a bit of humor in the situation, and he should count himself lucky that Petra was letting him off the hook so easily.

Her laughter eventually died down and she crawled toward him warmly, wrapping her arms around his neck and smirking, her voice low and smug as she questioned him, "Alright…So tell me Levi, _how was it_?"

Levi blinked at her question in shock, because surely she couldn't be asking him what he _thought_ she was, but when her smirk only grew more pronounced and she watched him with a raised brow expectantly – he sighed, but was unable to help the smirk that pulled at his lips in return.

He allowed his hands to trail down her sides, coming to rest against her hips and he didn't even try to hide when he stole a long glance down at her chest. He took his time as he looked at her form, and eventually he looked back up at her with an honest, contented sigh, "…_Really_ fucking nice."

Petra merely nodded once with a smile of her own, "_Good answer_."

...

* * *

...

After a bit more laughter, some more wise cracks on Petra's part on how he was just a perverted old man, Levi eventually cleared his throat and allowed his expression to sober.

"It's far, far past curfew now, and we both need to get some sleep. Before I go though, there's something I want to say."

Petra had previously resumed laying back across the bed while they spoke light heartedly, however at his more serious expression, she blinked and sat up slowly, nodding toward him in question, "Oh. Of course, Captain."

He looked at her directly, "I don't like that you are choosing to disregard my advice. I find it aggravating that you have praised my role as your direct Captain, how I've handled my squad, as well as how I've handled you specifically, to such an extent that you trust me with your very life because of it. Come the time where your words _should_ be backed with action – you trust me, so you choose to follow my lead even when you don't understand or agree – it seems as though you were all talk because all your praise amounted to nothing."

Petra opened her mouth to respond, though gave a sigh in knowing that he wasn't yet finished and fell silent without his having to tell her. He continued, "You once told me that you don't like to watch me suffer or be in pain – you need to understand that you aren't the only one who feels that way, as I get no pleasure in watching you, or anyone else I care about, suffer. I have the experience to know what's up ahead should you go down that path, and Petra, it's not pretty. It bothers me to no end that no matter what angle I try to approach this from, you are too damn stubborn to listen to me."

She gave a soft nod and looked down into her bed with a guilty expression, and finally, Levi gave a long sigh, "…Do your best, Petra."

Hearing his words, her mouth parted in surprise and she blinked, slowly looking back up toward him with wide eyes, "Do my best? Captain, is this…are you giving me your _blessing?_"

His eyes narrowed as though she had missed the point completely, and he scoffed, "No. _Fuck no_. I already told you that my opinion won't be changing, and I _meant_ it. I know a bad idea when I see one and this one _screams_ regret. But even still, I know full well that this is the path you've chosen and nothing I do will steer you off from it. Because of that, I'm telling you to give it all you've got. If you absolutely must do this, then you'd better put every part of yourself into it because that's the only way you're going to get any results. You have to be intentional and push yourself daily – thinking past what Erwin already achieved is no easy feat."

She was grinning ear to ear, and he merely rolled his eyes because her cheerful response only solidified his suspicion that she had no damn clue what she was in for. She nodded in determination, "Yes, yes of course Captain. I won't let you down, I'll make you proud. I swear it."

He stood up from her bed with a nod, "I could care less about that, Petra - just be careful to not overdo it. You play an important role on my squad, and that comes first. How you go about your research is up to you, but if you need anything from me, just say the word and I'll see that you have it."

Petra gave a small laugh, her expression strange as she looked into her bed with a shy sort of smile, a blush rising to her cheeks.

"…What?" he asked in confusion, and Petra bit her lower lip as her smile widened all the more.

She gave a small laugh, shaking her head in wonder and laughing to herself, "I just don't get it. You're so_ cool_, Captain. How do I…" she trailed off and sighed happily, staring right at him as she spoke, "I don't know, I am just so _happy_ that I know you."

His mouth fell open at her simple statement, and he shook his head, finding that once again - as he had been many times before when confronted with Petra and her ardent devotion to him - he was speechless.

He moved toward her door and nodded simply, "Good night, Petra."

"Goodnight…Captain."

He closed the door behind himself, and only when he was a safe distance from the door did he allow a smirk to come to his face as he reran the night through his mind.

Unbeknownst to Petra…

He _had _heard her.

Granted, he didn't know how _much_ he had heard considering he had been asleep, but what he had heard had been more than enough to make his mind wander. He_ had _been sleeping when her voice reached him; she had been playing with his hair as her fingertips ran over his scalp pleasantly, and that's what had caused him to stir. Even still, simply knowing she was there, saying who knows what but sounding so close to him – he would have been more than content to fall back asleep and leave it at that, being none the wiser to what secrets she was confiding to the night air.

However, the sound of her voice began to clarify into _words, _and once he had registered _what _was being said, he was instantly awake, but wise enough to intentionally_ feign_ sleep because with what she was saying, he knew that the second he 'woke up' she would stop immediately and berate him in all-out embarrassment for eavesdropping, even though she had been the one stupid enough to say those things a mere foot away from him.

She had been admitting, lamenting – _out loud_ no less – that she found him to be _attractive_, immensely so, and that alone had almost ruined his guise right then and there because there was an undeniable pull at his lips that would have formed a proud, smug smirk under any other circumstance.

As much as he had enjoyed hearing her say such things, undeniably stroking his ego to some extent as she talked about the ways he impacted her with his behavior or touch, more than that, he found he was actually _relieved_, because while Petra had always received him well enough when he kissed her or touched her, he wasn't sure if it was simply because she found him attractive, or if it was because he was just _convenient_, considering that to some extent…he was her one and only option.

Granted it wasn't the first time that Petra had told him that she thought he was attractive – she had said something to that extent the night of the banquet, but he had written off her words at the time, because she had explained in the very same breath that she also found _Eld_ and _Gunther _to be attractive, so he didn't exactly take her statement as anything more than a 'nice' thing to say.

Now though, _now_ he believed her.

The smirk on his mouth only grew more pronounced at the memory as he thought about the frustration and shyness she spoke with, but then he sighed, because she hadn't stopped there – and what she had admitted after that made her previous words pale in significance. What she had whispered to him, so quietly and so tenderly, it made his mind spin.

She had asked so many questions – questions that they had both been dancing around and trying to avoid – but it seemed neither would be able to avoid it for much longer because they would only be able to dance in the shadows for so long before something pulled them into the light. She had confessed that she didn't know how she _felt_ about him anymore, and that she was too fearful to ask what he felt for her, in fear of what the answer would be. What she had asked him next had all but caused his heart to skip a beat from sheer surprise, and for a moment he had almost wished that he _was _asleep, because it was easier not knowing, and not having to force his mind to dwell on all that had changed between them.

She had asked in such a soft, serene whisper if it was possible for him to _love_ her.

Even now, the mere notion made his mind blank, because what the hell did _he_ know about love? He could say that he had _friends _that he loved in his lifetime, he had loved his mom to be sure, but even still… he had _never _had that sort of relationship with someone before – a _romantic _love.

Not once.

What boggled his mind and made his heart race was the underlying notion that Petra, perhaps, _wanted_ his love.

Was that even possible?

What would that even look like? Assuming he had such an ability, assuming he could learn to love, or _accept_ love from another, how was he to express such a thing? Like Petra had stated, was that what_ either_ of them even wanted? What the hell would 'love' do for either of them?

The concept was impossible to wrap his mind around, and the more he thought about it, the more he found that she legitimately_ frustrated_ him.

There were times that she almost pissed him off with how she trusted him so blindly, because it was like she was being intentionally foolish, chasing after someone like him, and yet he knew full well that Petra was no fool. _Most_ people innately seemed to understand that he was dangerous; that he was _different_. People tended to steer clear of him when given the option, and those that were forced to work beside him often watched him with obvious mistrust for years on end because they could just _sense_ that something wasn't right with him. If their sheer instincts didn't encourage them to avoid him, his previous record from back in the Underground would, that, or his generally disliked personality.

Even still, Petra was stubborn and pursued him all the more, and it made it damn near impossible for him to shut her out, because he simply _couldn't_. Her words had resonated when she had compared him to a drug, because Petra was good. He simply knew her to be _good_, through and through, and in his life that was full of hell and death and blood, he was drawn to her and the promise of newness and life that was so devoid from all around him, much like a drug that he didn't want, but desperately needed. She had whispered so close to him, her voice content but firm with resolve, that he was the only man she would ever truly want, before kissing him so passionately that it had actually shocked him, and just like that, he was kissing her because how could he not.

It was _Petra._

Her next question had been just as important before she had kissed him and it made his throat feel tight and dry as he tried to find the answer within himself, because frustrating or not, he found himself mentally revisiting the question, because it really was _the_ question. Petra. _Loving_ Petra…Was that what he wanted? Did he _want_ to love her? _Could_ he even love her? What was more, did they actually want to go there? They had both sworn once that they didn't want a relationship, and yet…he knew full well that things were different now. He had changed. Petra had changed. Being in a relationship, whatever the hell that even meant, with someone like him…was that really what she _wanted?_

He walked down the hall and frowned, finding that like Petra…he didn't know.

He just didn't know.

…

* * *

End of Chapter

* * *

…

Confessions of a sick author – I really hate how the Levi section is actually _here_ in this same chapter as Petra's own musings. Like, really _really_ hate it. The _benefit_ of writing ahead (still trying to finish Chapter 48, lord help me because I've been stuck on this one chapter for three weeks now) is that yall don't have to worry about whether there's material at the ready or not come Sunday. Of course there is, I'm literally ahead of yall by 10+ chapters!

Bummer however is, that formatting doesn't always come out the best – something that I've lamented about before. I write what needs to be written, then I go back later and divide them as best I can into a chapter somewhere between four and seven thousand words. Ish. Don't know if that's the proper writing technique, but it's how I've been trucking along.

Sometimes smaller thoughts and sections like this, where Levi has a mental review of Petra's rather intense confessions – important as they are – get stuck at the 'end' or 'beginning' of an obvious chapter segment, because they are very important, but much too small to be a chapter on their own.

I feel it lessens the significance of both almost – of Petra's soft thoughts that she would have NEVER said had she known Levi was awake, and then takes the punch out of Levi's, because who knew he had actually_ heard_ everything? Ah, but I digress. Just how the formatting worked here. Perhaps it was meant to be.

Apologies as I know I'm rather long winded in my notes today, but for my American friends, happy Thanksgiving from me to you! Enjoy time with family and friends! Happy holidays yall!

~Midnight

(Ps – Random thought, but I love the alternative title suggestions. Keep em coming!)


	35. The One when the Coffee tastes like Levi

Praise the walls yall.

Midnight here, back in business and feeling better than ever. Hope yall had a WONDERFUL holiday, and now that we are officially in the realm of Christmas time, deck the walls, get some cocoa and prepare yourself…*grabs megaphone*

FOR THE GREATEST FOOTBALL GAME IN HISTORY. (Today mah boys face the Oakland Raiders. Boo. Hiss. With Mahomes, we shall prevail against the California menace.)

As for this week, I just want to say that I wrote over twelve thousand words, this week alone, and that makes me feel bloody great. I wanted to keep myself around twenty some chapters ahead, and granted I know that I don't always write chronologically so I've got a lot of the end story written out, but still. I was getting nervous as I'm only about 10/15ish chaps ahead now, and I /really/ don't want to get to a place where I have to go to every other week updates, so I'm really, really trying to be diligent to make sure that that never has to happen. If it does, we'll get through it. But still. Let it be known I am staying focused :)

Either way, I did say that I could continue weekly updates for sure through the end of the year, and I can stick by that. I'll revisit the topic in a few more weeks and let you know the game plan!

…

* * *

…

It had been just over two weeks since Erwin had his conversation with Petra – Levi knew this to be true because logically speaking, days continued to pass by on the calendar and numbers didn't lie, yet Levi was certain that his squad, Petra, and even himself, had found themselves in some horrible void where time seemed to stand still.

Since that night in her room, Petra had not wasted any time in her quest to find the various holes in training, different numbers that stood as outliers worth looking into, how their resources had been used in the past that might produce new methods of use – Erwin had predicted correctly that Petra would drive herself past what was _healthy_ in attempts to come to a different conclusion.

It wasn't uncommon for Levi to make his rounds in the halls to ensure that his squad was somewhat respectful of the Scout's curfew every so often, and on more than one occasion he had walked into Petra's still lit room well after hours, given her a firm stare as she all but jolted from being caught red handed, and turned out the light with a simple, but indisputable, "Get to bed. Now."

Regardless his slight micromanaging, she was clearly sleep deprived, her skin was pale and sickly, and as the days progressed, she was having increasing difficulty staying focused for even the simplest of tasks. Her obvious change in behavior didn't go unnoticed by her peers.

While the men didn't know the full details, they were aware that _something_ was amiss between the Captain and his wife, that there was something going on with Petra specifically, and as each day passed by more slowly than the last, Petra's performance began to get worse and worse, the squad got more and more worried, Levi became more and more…_exhausted_ – it was a vicious cycle.

Still though, determined to not make the same mistakes twice, Levi intentionally intervened with a strong presence as the squad's Captain, making sure that they were still challenged, still held accountable, and weren't left to fend for themselves just because Petra was playing by her own set of rules for the time being. While he couldn't dictate how she used her time while off duty, _on duty_, he was her Captain through and through and demanded the same level of performance from her as anyone else on his squad.

He had corrected her on more than one occasion, intentionally coming into the main lobby earlier than usual in the mornings to ensure that he could have a private conversation with her before the men got there. He reminded her firmly that her baser duties came first, that she couldn't disregard her responsibilities in the Scouts in favor of the extra work that Erwin had delegated to her, and yet regardless her apologetic expression and promise to try harder, he knew full well his message wasn't sinking in because come the next morning she appeared just as haggard, and just as exhausted.

Her performance on his squad was similar now to what it had been when she first joined his ranks, and it frustrated him endlessly to watch her flounder about each day because she was _better_ than that. She struggled in almost every avenue, from strength to speed to agility, as though her body were weak and untrained. He knew full well that she was neither of those things; she was just _that_ exhausted and wasn't taking care of herself. He knew she wasn't sleeping, Eld had reported to him that she was sometimes skipping meals, she wasn't talking to anyone and would merely shut herself away in her room – it was so unlike Petra and it worried him, but there was only so much he could _make_ her do.

Come morning training, she would fall behind when they were running, and he would have to run back to her, tell her to pick up the pace because they were just _warming up_ for the day and she needed to get it together. Other times he had told her she was dead weight and he knew damn well he had trained her better than that.

While that would instantly spark something within her – he could see it in her eyes that she wanted to make him eat his words – her body just couldn't keep up with her will, because after a mere few minutes, she would fall behind again and he'd be right back at her side, having to shout at her and push her every step of the way with various methods at his disposal – things he hadn't had to resort to in years, just to _drag _her through the day.

Today was shaping up to be yet another piss poor day, and Levi had known from the start that it was going to be rough. Instead of being first to the room like normal, Petra had been last. Not wanting the squad to suffer from lack of caffeine, Levi had prepared the coffee in her stead, thinking that Petra would stumble in with them attempt to make coffee at the last second and forcing them all to chug it down in attempts to report for duty on time.

When the men walked in at their normal time, grabbing their coffee and making a few cracks that his coffee tasted just like him – strong and bitter – and that they preferred Petra's coffee, because apparently _her _coffee also matched her personality in that it was energizing and sweet.

He told them all to shove it, but in truth, he couldn't help but agree.

_Petra's coffee was better._

It wasn't until almost five minutes until they had to report for duty that Levi was preparing to walk to Petra's room, irritated that she had gone from a top performer to someone who couldn't even get out of _bed_ in a mere two weeks' time, but as he stood up from his chair, she finally stumbled into the room, yawning widely as she pulled her arms through the sleeves of her tan jacket – looking completely exhausted and barely put together.

"Uh-oh," Oluo chuckled as she moseyed into the room, being the physical embodiment of fatigue, "Looks like someone overslept. Were you having such a good dream that it made you want to stay in bed? Was _I _in it?"

Petra gave him a dirty look at his implications, but lacked the energy to respond the way she normally would, and she simply kept walking into the room without a word. She blinked a few times, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes – her behavior was so odd that the entire room fell silent as they each watched her in question - and when she came to the table, she looked around in obvious confusion, only now seeming to realize that everyone already had their respective cups of coffee.

"Who made the coffee?" she asked quietly in surprise, and Eld raised his cup higher, nodding toward the Captain casually.

"Levi did. Good thing too, because I don't think we've got time to wait around much longer. I know you like your morning coffee, but if you get some from the pot now it'll still be a bit too hot to drink outright. Frankly, we're past the time of lazing around. If you want the rest of mine though, I've got a little over half a cup left. It's cooled down a bit so you could finish it all in one go without burning yourself. If you wanted, that is."

Petra took in his explanation with a blank look, as though she didn't understand what he was saying in the slightest. It was only when she looked at the clock and her eyes went wide, that Levi realized she wasn't even _aware_ that she had slept in.

Great.

Her mouth fell open in surprise, finally understanding the time crunch she had put herself in, and she looked toward the coffee in question, then toward Eld. She pondered his question for a moment as she watched him hesitantly, "I didn't know I was so late…Are you sure? I mean, it's _your_ coffee and -"

Eld stood up from the table and pushed the cup into her hand with a lighthearted chuckle, "Believe me Petra, I'm sure. I don't actually need the caffeine, I'm just a social coffee drinker. But you? Well, you look like you've got your work cut out for you today, and something tells me you could use the boost."

He nodded toward her, "Drink up."

Petra gave a single nod, drinking what was left of his coffee in a single go as the rest of the squad moved up from the table and started to walk toward the door as she chugged the lukewarm coffee.

The squad was already out the door when Petra set the coffee mug onto the table, and it didn't escape her notice that a certain Captain had stayed behind with her. The way his gaze was lingering on her, the way his jaw was set firmly, she knew he was upset.

"Cutting it a bit close today, don't you think?" his tone was far from amused, and Petra looked toward him nervously.

She gave him a single nod, hoping to defuse his anger quickly, because this was far from the first conversation he had had with her regarding her performance, and she already felt bad enough _without_ his disapproving scowl. She wasn't even aware she had slept in until just a moment ago - in her mind she had gotten out of bed same time as usual - so she was still coming to terms with the fact that she had slept in to such an extent that she had almost missed reporting for duty entirely.

She bit her lip nervously, guilt evident in her voice as she looked toward the ground apologetically, "I'm sorry Captain, I won't make a habit of it."

He was unimpressed and watched her flatly as he stood up from the table. His voice was deceptively calm, which only put her on edge even further because she could_ feel_ the rising tension in the room. "Tell me. What time did you get to bed last night?"

She swallowed thickly under the weight of his stare and took a step toward the door, hoping to get them both moving and force the conversation to come to an end because perhaps if they just moved on with their day, then maybe… She gave a shrug, "Late, okay? I'm just-"

Levi walked toward her, his irritation rising exponentially when she tried to _walk away_ from him. He shook his head once, his voice more tense as he corrected her, "Oh no, stay right there because I'm not done." He moved toward her in a tense silence, and after a few moments he was standing directly in front of her with a still narrowed gaze, "The_ time_, Petra."

She gave a long sigh and shrugged in exasperation, knowing that yes, they_ were_ going to have this conversation and there would be no avoiding it after all. While his anger was perhaps justified, it irritated _her_ in return, because she wasn't doing it on purpose. She was pushing herself to the best of her abilities, trying to force her mind and body to bend to her will because she_ had_ to save her comrades, but the strain was overwhelming, and she was doing the best she could. With how he was acting now, it was as though he believed that she was doing things for the singular purpose of pissing him off.

She tried to keep the bite out of her tone, "Well, I can't be too specific because I _don't know_."

He gave a sharp exhale as he suddenly leaned toward her and crossed his arms tersely, "Well give me an honest _guess_ then."

She looked around the room in irritation, rubbing her temples as she tried to think of the time she had finally crawled to bed. She threw a hand in the air, "I don't know, maybe around three? Three thirty maybe?"

Levi quirked an eyebrow and gave a slow nod, "Three am? You expected to get less than three hours of sleep, after _already _being short on sleep, wake up at six to get ready for the day, go through ten hours of training, then stay up late into the night and do it all over again tomorrow?"

Petra could only watch him evenly, because they both knew the answer to his question, and Levi set his jaw and glared at her outright. He shook his head as though utterly repulsed by her decisions, and rolled his eyes, "You ever heard the expression 'burning the candle at both ends', dumbass? How do you expect to take care of the lives of your comrades when you can't even fucking take care of_ yourself_ anymore?"

Petra's mouth fell open in offense and she snarled, "Levi! That's not for you to-"

"_Don't_ talk over me, Petra." Levi snapped fiercely, and Petra fell very silent, very fast, intimidated outright because the way Levi watched her and the harshness of his tone confirmed that he was officially _livid_.

His voice was tense as he continued firmly, "How many fucking times have I told you to respect the damned curfew and get your ass in bed over these past few weeks? How many times have I had to pull you aside and remind you that I expect you to take your role on my team as your _top _priority, yet even_ still_ you behave as though your squad is only worthy of what's left over. How many damned times do I need to tell you that you are _my_ subordinate first and foremost, that from the hours of seven thirty a.m to five o'clock p.m you report directly to _me_, so even _if _Erwin-"

"Levi, I'm sorry!" Petra stated sharply, an edge and desperation to her voice that caught him off guard. She dared to look up at him, only once, and she sighed at the anger on his face as he watched her in obvious frustration. Gods, she hated when he was angry with her like this. More than his anger, the fact that underneath it all, she knew that he was disappointed in her, that he was worried for her – her entire _team_ was worried for her - that was what made her stomach sink with guilt.

She gave a humbled shrug, "I won't try to pretend that I'm not struggling. I know I am and I know that…I've let you down. But I'm trying Levi, I honestly am, but I'm making mistakes and…and I know that doesn't change anything but-"

"No. It doesn't." Levi confirmed suddenly, and Petra looked back up at him in surprise, taken aback by the sheer callousness of his words. "Good intentions mean shit if they aren't backed by actions, and as it stands now your actions have been worthless. This team is a five-man squad that functions the way it does because we _all _pull our weight to ensure that we have each other's backs - so that we all come home together, _alive_. The fact that you are so caught up on the nameless, faceless Scouts that _may_ die, that your own performance is slacking so severely - Our training has been shit for the past two weeks no thanks to you, and it makes me fucking sick. Your half-assing the material, trying to do both somehow, is causing pain to you, and your squad, and what's more, you don't even have any fucking results that _justify_ your backsliding. You're too stubborn to admit defeat and so you keep at it, while in the meantime, you're endangering your comrades. What's worse _still_, that hasn't even crossed your fucking _mind_ because you're only thinking of yourself right now."

Levi gave a shrug and shook his head in disgust as he gave her a passing glance, "I'm done here, because I'm wasting my damned breath. Still though I gotta say, for someone who is so thoughtful and kind, I would have never believed you could be so damned selfish."

With that, he walked away, not pausing to wait for her as he left the large room – as though it didn't even matter if she chose to follow after him or not.

…

* * *

…

The morning progressed on, albeit quietly.

Even though they had walked out of the lobby a mere five minutes after the rest of the group, it was obvious that Petra was _not_ in the Captain's good graces. For once, the squad knew full well it had nothing to do with their relationship – Petra was clearly struggling and Levi was at his wits end in trying to curb her performance – and they tried to turn a blind eye to the fact she was obviously in trouble.

They had begun their training for the day, and Levi found he was just as frustrated by Petra, because he knew she was trying, he could tell she was giving it everything she had, and yet_ still_ she was falling behind – her body was just not being cared for well enough, and it was taking its toll on her ability to keep up with the demands of being on his squad.

"Pick up the damned pace, Petra!" Levi shouted behind him, watching her firmly as she continued to struggle to keep pace with her team.

"You can do it Petra!" Eld's voice sounded next, and Levi rolled his eyes as further words of encouragement were given from the rest of his squad. It wasn't that he didn't _want _them to do so – if they wanted to cheer her on that was their business – what pissed him off was that they felt the needed to do so at all.

Petra had never been the weakest link – at least not after she finally settled into the squad – and now it was obvious that she was all but being babied because it was _that_ obvious that she couldn't pull her weight. While unintentional, it only highlighted how poorly she was doing, and with the way Petra watched her squad mates, with a mix of irritation and spite, it seemed Levi wasn't the only one who disliked their patronizing.

She still continued to struggle throughout the day, and when it finally came time to run drills and work with the 3DM gear, Levi found his patience was at an all-time low. Thanks to Petra's inability to keep up, he had elected to stick to basics today, in attempts to at least _somewhat _accommodate her lacking abilities.

They had worked on speed, basic maneuvers that tended to get sloppy due to familiarity, and precision and depth of cuts. They worked on a circuit sort of basis to ensure that they used their time as efficiently as possible, and as the hours progressed, it was clear that Petra was at her limit because she was getting slower and slower, and _sloppy_.

She struggled to keep up with them as they weaved through the trees – not because of the 3DM gear that would do most of the work for her – but because her _reflexes_ were that slow and she was having difficulty making decisive judgement calls. Levi kept a close eye on her as they maneuvered through the forest, both in irritation and concern, because having a sleep deprived person fifty some feet up in the air that was running solely on sheer willpower and caffeine, was a liability and if her progressive sloppiness was an indicator, she was bound to mess up sooner rather than later.

He had to keep on her, tell her to pay attention, watch where she was shooting her wires, plan her next moves to ensure that they could all keep progressing ahead seamlessly, but finally, she seemed to reach the edge of her limits.

Petra had shot her wires forward, however she hadn't been paying attention and she shot her wires a few feet too high, making it so that when she came to the branch she should have landed on, it was _slightly _too high for her and she tried to adjust her angle, using gas to help propel her upward a little further, but the angle was still awkward and when she got a foot planted on the tree, she slipped downward off the tree entirely.

She was falling to the ground, only slightly alarmed as she looked around for where she could shoot her wires next and the easiest path to put her back in the formation, but before she could shoot off her wires again to regroup, Levi had caught her easily in his arms, holding her bridal style as he held onto her tightly, maneuvering through the forest in an adjusted path of trajectory.

"Levi!" Petra gasped in surprise; her eyes wide as she looked up toward him breathlessly, adrenaline coursing through her from the surprise of missing the tree branch, combined with suddenly being caught midair.

"Hold onto me." He stated firmly, and it was clear he was far from pleased, "I'm taking you to the forest floor and I need my hands."

Petra exhaled in frustration, though quickly wrapped her arms around his neck without argument, not wanting to endanger him by hindering his ability to redirect himself as needed. As she held onto him, she looked up toward the squad who was already adjusting to the loss of herself and Levi. Eld had seamlessly assumed command and was shouting what formation they would take, confirming that they would join Levi after a few rotations as a team of three.

While she supposed it just went to show how amazing her squad really was, more than anything, she was alarmed at how quickly they had so easily adjusted _without _her. She shook her head firmly, "No, I can still train. Just set me down on a branch and I'll regroup – I was going to do that before but-"

"No." Levi responded, his tone low and even as though he was just as exhausted as she was, "I'm taking you to the forest floor. You're done."

She blinked, looking back toward him in even greater surprise, "…What? _What?!_"

Levi remained silent and after a few moments his feet tapped onto the ground, and Petra carefully put her legs down, finding her footing and crossing her arms as Levi watched her evenly.

He didn't immediately start speaking, so Petra took the opportunity to explain herself, "Okay, okay – look, it was a mistake to be sure, I was just, well, tired, and so I-"

"Give me your 3DM gear."

Petra fell silent at once, her mouth falling open as Levi watched her flatly, his words making her blood run cold because she was expecting him to chew her out, tell her to run laps or pushups or something else as a form of punishment before permitting her to join her team again – not_ this._

Was he…being serious?

"…What?"

"Give me. Your 3DM gear." He repeated simply, then gave her a single nod to confirm it was not up for discussion, "You're _done_, Petra."

A silence fell between them as her mind tried to wrap around what he was saying, because it just made no sense to her. She was a Scout; this was her team. She was just as much a part of this team as he was, and if the team was training than she should _also_ be training so-

Her voice was quiet and laced with uncertainty as she attempted to voice her thoughts, "Wha…no. This is _my_ team and I want to train with you guys so don't make me-"

Levi gave a long sigh and held a hand out toward her expectantly, "_Now_, Petra. Take off your gear, and give it to me. You've been holding the team back, you're making stupid rookie mistakes that could wind up _killing_ you, and I can't justify the entire squad suffering for weeks on end because you can't keep up, nor can I expend all my energy having to babysit you like this."

Petra found herself breathing heavily as emotions overwhelmed her, and it didn't help when the remainder of the squad landed beside them a moment later.

"Hey Petra, what happened back there?" Oluo asked with a chuckle, though after a glare from Eld, they all fell silent, watching the interaction with wide eyes because it was obvious that Petra was in trouble with the Captain, _again_.

She stood perfectly still, watching Levi with large eyes that were begging him to reconsider, and Levi frowned as sheer exhaustion built within him, because as much as he would have preferred Petra be right along side him and his squad, she _was_ a risk; a _danger_ to herself and comrades, and until she was in a better position to train, he couldn't permit her to join them for even a moment longer because someone would wind up hurt.

"Petra, I will not tell you again." Levi tried to ignore the way the squad watched them, having hoped they would have lingered in the forest just a while longer as he wasn't trying to embarrass her, but they were here now and it couldn't be helped. His voice was quiet, but firm, "We'll discuss this after training is over, but in the meantime consider yourself dismissed. While we're out here, I expect you to be in the compound. Clean the bathroom, then work out in the hall to dust and scrub the walls and surfaces. If you finish that, then get started on the coffee station. Is that understood?"

Petra opened her mouth to respond, but her voice cracked and she merely took a deep breath. After a long moment passed, she looked toward the ground and nodded her head miserably, "Yes, Captain."

As she began unstrapping the 3DM gear from off her waist, she stiffened considerably, because Levi had taken a few steps toward her, standing inches in front of her as he leaned forward to speak in her ear, intentionally addressing her with a quiet whisper that wouldn't be overheard by her eavesdropping comrades, "You'll get your gear back when you fucking _earn _it. You were the top of my squad and I won't accept anything less from you, Mrs. Ackerman."

She remained frozen in place at his hushed words, feeling a mix of encouragement and frustration and sheer embarrassment, and while it was against her better judgement, she gave a long sigh and dropped her head forward, resting her forehead against his shoulder with a solid plop as she stared into the ground, her mind swarming with various thoughts of outrage and a million different ways she could have redone the day that might have prevented this outcome.

"I'm sorry Levi, I am." She swallowed thickly, willing herself not to cry because she had no one to blame but herself, "I'm so _tired_."

"I know." He stated evenly, not moving to push her off of him, but not trying to comfort her with his touch either. "We'll discuss this later. Dismissed."

She nodded against his shoulder, then stood up fully and handed him the various pieces of her 3DM gear with a palpable sadness, before walking in defeat back toward the compound.

…

* * *

End of Chapter

* * *

…

*sighs*

Poor Petra.

I just love this section so much, because due to the nature of this story, I feel it's not often that I get to write Levi in his element, as _Captain_, first and foremost – so getting to write a Levi who is in control, confident, and has somewhat figured out a balance as to how to coach Petra now that she's his wife, the writer in me just wants to pat him on the back for a job well done because man oh man, it wasn't easy to get here and Levi, at least in this one instance, got it right! I know I've had a few comments in the past about, in short, when are we going to see some Titan slaying action because you've been building up the squad and their training, so will you write that out ever? In short, yes and no. Sorry, but that's all I can say :C Trust me that I won't waste my time or yours, and to the best of my ability, I won't be leaving holes or loose strings that will make you scratch your head and say 'what ever happened with that?'

And side note, I do try not to lead yalls minds and force my views of story interpretation onto you, but fan girl note here (that's okay, right?) Did anyone else just die when Levi grabs Petra because she's kinda sucking – and without having to say anything, without even batting an eye, Eld just takes over_, flawlessly?_ To the extent that Petra has a mental freak out moment, because she sees just _how_ easily her spot is covered and just how perfectly the squad moves on without her; not even missing a beat after losing not just one, but two people – one of them being Levi himself? And Eld just regroups the other two men and they keep going without missing a beat? Sooo cool.

I know I write Eld as a prankster, a down to earth guy that just loves to laugh and meddle in Levi and Petra's business, and I have NO regrets about that either because I could back that all up from the manga if you pressed me – but of course, he is Levi's second in Command and is an outright badass. Love, love, LOVE Eld in that moment. Squad Levi for life yall. Best group in the whole series.

But I digress. You know I've got an important game to prep for.

Wish me luck throughout this week and send all the good vibes, because I'm going to try and make this another great week for writing new content!

~Midnight


	36. The One Where You Missed A Spot

Morning everyone!

Happy Sunday and Feliz Navidad. Hope everyone had an awesome week and that yall are getting your holiday shopping accomplished! We got to start some festivities ourselves this last week, went and looked at some Christmas lights, had a gingerbread decorating contest, and trying to teach my son the TRUE meaning of Christmas. So far, I think he's getting that Christmas is about driving everywhere, all the time, eating fudge and wearing pajamas and sleeping NEVER.

All in all, I think that's the right idea.

As for this chapter, apologies in advance but it is on the shorter side, and I told myself that I refuse to feel bad about it considering that most of my chapters are closer to seven thousand words when I told myself I'd stick to four. *sigh* I'm just long winded, I can't help it.

Anyhow, that is all. Enjoy!

…

* * *

…

"It's looking good in here; nice work." Levi announced his arrival as he made his way into the hall that he had ordered Petra to clean, looking down at the freshly scrubbed floor in approval. His gaze settled onto Petra who was presently standing up on a chair, wiping down the walls diligently. At his voice, her attentions turned toward him, and already there was a guilty look on her face as she watched him.

"Oh, well…thank you, sir. I finished the bathroom earlier, and I'm just about done here." She looked around the hall and stepped down from her chair, "If you want I can head to the coffee station next, or if there was something else? I was thinking about everything you've said over these past few weeks and then this morning and…I just want you to know that I really, really will be trying harder."

Levi gave a nondescript nod, merely walked further into the hall and relaxed against the wall, leaning back against the clean surface and crossing his arms in thought. He looked at her passively, "Well then it seems you have more to think over then, because if that's what you got out of it then you're still missing the point."

Petra gave him a confused look and he nodded toward the chair, "Take a seat, Petra."

She hesitantly did so, sitting upright in the chair in a perplexed manner, her back straight as a board as she watched him in question because she truly _must_ have been missing something. Her performance was slacking, it was obvious to everyone, but considering she was the one who kept record of their team's numbers, she knew better than perhaps even Levi himself, just how far she had fallen since she had taken on Erwin's demands. It only made sense that she needed to try harder. Sure she had a lot on her plate, but others had been in much worse or dire situations and still balanced their workload, she was certain of it. If she was more intentional about her time management, tried to multitask perhaps – then maybe that would work?

As though able to read her mind, Levi gave a deep sigh. He took a few moments to think of how it would be best to address her, try to alter her perspective or coach her appropriately, and finally looked toward her again, "The problem isn't that you're not trying hard enough, it's that you're trying _too hard_. As your Captain, I can acknowledge that your skills have developed and you've discovered new strengths that you intend to morph and make your own." He looked at her directly, a note of pride in his voice as he watched her, "That's admirable, especially considering it's not anything that I can take credit for. Your ability to manipulate data into tangible training and practical outcomes is extremely useful, as I know you are well aware. The Commander himself has leveraged your ability on more than one occasion, and you're still beginning to learn your trade in that respect."

She smiled at his compliment, and his voice somewhat stiffened, "_However._ With your new strengths, it seems you've uncovered a new set of weaknesses as well, and unfortunately for you they're shitty ones to have. You don't know your limits, which is dangerous Petra, dangerous and often _deadly_ \- and combined with your crippling desire to help whenever and _who_ever you can, it means that you don't know how to say no, at the cost of yourself."

Petra gave a slow, cautious nod because she knew he wasn't trying to belittle her; his observations were more of a statement of fact. It wasn't that she was _trying_ to work herself into an early grave - It was difficult for her to know the difference between challenging herself, versus pushing herself_ past_ the point of breaking. While she knew that she was running on empty, she had been hoping that her exhaustion and resulting physical weakness was temporary. After all, when she had first joined Levi's squad, she had struggled to keep up, her body ached and protested then too, but it had adjusted; she was hoping that this would just be another one of those cases and she'd come out stronger for it.

But perhaps it never would, and if so, she truly was being a fool.

Seeing her crestfallen look, Levi continued, "Rule number one: Self-preservation comes first. That's the most basic rule that leadership knows and understands as though second nature. We know our boundaries and respect them; no matter what happens or who goes before us, we need to survive."

Petra watched him with a displeased frown, "But…that just…seems wrong. Not that I'd expect you all to be suicidal or stupid mind you, but…" she trailed off and watched Levi expectantly, and he merely shrugged.

"Call it cowardly or callous, but the reality is that we each bring something to the table that is damn near impossible to replace. I know of no one else who can replace Erwin's ability to lead, nor his creative and decisive abilities to problem solve. As much as I like to make fun of Four-eyes, Hanji is equally as cunning in her own way and has a useful knack of getting information, not to mention that the Titans are an all-out_ passion_ project of hers – who else would be so fearless and not outright kill them instead? The Scouts _need _her."

Levi paused and adjusted his position against the wall, "As for me, well, my skills are more simple in nature than that of Hanji or Erwin, but my abilities are helpful not just outside the walls, but also for keeping _people_ in line. As much as I hate the stupid title, people tend to think twice about crossing us because the mere mention of 'Humanity's Strongest' keeps them in check. That respect and renown won't easily be replaced should I die, and so to do_ my_ part properly, I have to make sure that I live on."

Petra gave an amused exhale and shook her head grimly, "That does make sense, but I am not you, or Hanji, or Erwin. Not that I want to die by any means, but fact of the matter is I am replaceable."

Levi rolled his eyes, "You're missing the point again. Do you really think that any of us were _born_ that way? No – same as you we _learned_ our skills and developed them into what they are today. I don't know what kind of role you'll have in the future, but I do know that if you aren't intentional in growing your skills wisely, learning your boundaries and learning to stand up for yourself, that day will never come because you'll never reach your full potential. It may not be death, but you'll lose yourself in other ways; you'll fall to depression, you'll be unable to make a stand or make a decisive judgement call – just because you're _alive_ doesn't mean you're _useful_."

He paused and watched her with a raised brow, "As it stands now, you're falling into the latter category and I'm trying to steer you off from it but you're making it damned difficult because you think it's all 'for the greater good'. To state the obvious, you need sleep. Eld's been reporting to me that you've been skipping meals, and that stops_ immediately_. I know you want to figure matters out Petra, but doing so at the cost of your own health is a rookie mistake and as your Command Officer I've had it because you fucking _know_ better."

He paused as she took in his words with a slow, guilty nod, and he exhaled, "I know that traditionally you have free time after dinner and you've been using that, and _then_ some to work on Erwin's project, but discretionary time is a privilege in the military, not a _right_, so considering your performance for the past few weeks, I'm placing you on corrective action."

Petra's eyebrows furrowed, "…Corrective action, sir?"

He merely nodded and explained, "Yes. Until you can bring your performance back up to a satisfactory level on my squad, you will not have _any_ discretionary time throughout the day."

Petra's mouth fell open, her eyes wide with alarm as she stood up from her chair in response in sudden irritation, "Say _what?_"

Levi's expression hardened, disliking the anger that was creeping into her tone, "I will assign you tasks to keep you busy throughout the day, and by the time they are completed, it will be the Scout's mandated lights out, which I _myself_ will ensure that you are honoring. In case you haven't figured it out, corrective action means _discipline, _Petra. It's not meant to be fun."

She held up a hand with a combative frown, "Wait wait – you said tasks throughout the day…as in, I_ still_ can't train with the squad? Levi, that's not fair!"

"Wrong." He corrected her sternly, his expression only continuing to darken at her continuing to challenge him further, "You're not using your free time wisely, so your free time is being taken away – that is the _definition_ of fair. What's_ not_ fair is how much the squad is being held back because of you."

"But Captain-"

"Enough Petra, this is not up for discussion." he spoke over her purposefully, his eyes narrowed in warning, "As for tonight, you can finish the hall and then complete the coffee station. You are welcome to excuse yourself for dinner afterward, but once you have finished eating you are to report back to me and I'll have another task for you to see to. As a heads up, I'm going into your room in a bit and removing all the folders and data that you've collected for research– I can assure you that you won't be needing them for the time being."

Petra gaped, stammering to find her words as she stared at him in utter outrage and disbelief, "Captain this isn't…is this because you're angry that I chose to accept Erwin's challenge? Is that why you're doing this?"

Levi deadpanned at her question, watching her in open disapproval, "No, and I'm surprised you think so. I told you before to do your best, and I meant it, but I _also_ told you not to overdo it, which you have. Like it or not, but part of my job is managing _your _performance, so you've left me with no choice but to micromanage you like this. _Some of us_ happen to take our jobs seriously around here."

Petra scowled at his insinuation, but said nothing and merely watched him in silence because she had been grating on his patience for some time now and was in enough trouble _without_ smarting off to him.

He pushed himself up from off the wall and gave her a firm stare as he continued, "I told you before, but you'll have your 3DM gear again when you fucking earn it. Show me you can handle your shit and then we'll talk about letting you train, but until then, you get to stay behind and do _housework _while the rest of the squad does what a soldier is _supposed_ to do."

Petra's eyes narrowed all the more and Levi pointed toward the wall behind her, "And you missed a spot."

Petra turned over her shoulder, looking at the wall in confusion because she had _just _washed that area, before finally seeing a spot that she had assumed was merely faded paint. After further inspection, she could tell it was a smudge of sorts and she scowled in irritation because _of course_ Levi would find something to nitpick. She turned back around, noticing in even _further _frustration that Levi was already walking away.

Her mouth fell open as she watched him move down the hall and she quickly pressed her lips together in a firm line, gripping the rag fiercely between her fingers and standing back up on the chair, muttering to herself darkly, "Oh I'll fucking earn it alright. Show that damned pompous half-pint a thing or two. Won't know what fucking _hit_ him. Housework indeed, that asshole."

Her profanities continued as she muttered more dark promises to herself, and it was due to her focus on the task at hand that she missed Levi's pause in step as he looked back over his shoulder toward her, a prominent smirk of amusement across his face as he watched her for a long moment, before shaking his head and continuing down the hallway in silence.

…

* * *

…

Levi had taken her by surprise that night when after dinner, her 'assignment' was not an actual job or task to complete, rather that she was simply going to bed right then and there, to which Petra complained vehemently, because it was barely past seven, and there was _no way_ she could possibly fall asleep at such an early hour in the day. At her dramatic and irritating whining, Levi rolled his eyes, grabbed the back of her neck and dragged her down the hallway toward her room forcefully, trying to ignore her as she complained the whole. fucking. way. With a shove of his arm, he all but tossed her into her room, confirming in equal challenge that he wasn't leaving until she was in bed, and gods help her if she even _attempted_ to sneak out of bed throughout the night because he_ would_ catch her, and she would_ not_ like the outcome.

She had shot him a scathing glare, shoving him out of the room so she could change and slamming the door defiantly behind her, further muttering coming from her bedroom as she changed out of her uniform and into pajamas. Levi had entered back into her room once she had finished, getting yet another earful of her _many _grievances because he was simply being cruel. With the fact she had been going to bed so late each night, she would just be staring up into her ceiling for hours and she would outright _die _of sheer boredom, and he was clearly doing all of this to just be spiteful.

Regardless her countless protests and promises that she couldn't possibly fall asleep, especially with him just outright _glaring_ at her like that - she had fallen asleep in less than ten minutes.

As for Levi, he may, or may not have lingered in her room a while longer yet, and it certainly had nothing to do with the overwhelming calm he felt, knowing that she would finally get some well needed rest, or the quiet way she breathed that made the tension leave him so effortlessly. Come the time for actual lights out, he finally left her room, finding that even though there was still work that needed to be addressed, he didn't care – he just wanted to sleep.

Petra's behavior hadn't impacted just her after all; unbeknownst to her, he had_ also_ stayed up with her for most nights, unable to sleep knowing that Petra was still working – and as a result, she wasn't the only one who desperately needed proper rest after multiple nights of all-nighters and subsequent early starts.

Come the next morning, Petra had actually beaten him to the lobby for once; the coffee already prepared and finished brewing by the time he arrived, reflecting what a more normal day on the Squad traditionally entailed. She had asked him hopefully, that considering she was actually well rested for a change – something Levi corrected, because one night of sleep did not account for _two weeks_ of insomnia – that perhaps he would consider allowing her to train with the squad if she promised to eat her meals and get to bed on time.

He had given her an appraising stare as he poured himself a cup of coffee, explaining calmly that his previous decision would not be changing, but - _not to worry_, because he had thought of plenty of things that would keep her occupied while she was on corrective action. At her defeated groan and miserable plop into her chair, Levi merely took a sip of his coffee, hiding his smirk behind the porcelain because he had to admit, her childish defiance was rather amusing and a small part of him _was _perhaps enjoying her misery after all she had put him and his men through.

While he had planned on making her get an early start on the day, he decided to cut her a bit of grace and allowed her to remain with the squad as they lounged around the table and drink coffee, same as always. When the men got up from the table to make their way toward the equipment hall, Levi had pulled her aside and confirmed the tasks he expected her to complete for that day, before giving a wave over his shoulder and joining the rest of his squad outside.

Two more days had passed like that; Petra's attitude remained steadfast and determined, Eld confirmed she was indeed taking proper care of herself, and finally Levi had given her the opportunity to officially earn her gear back. His terms had been simple – it was a Thursday so there _was_ no 3DM gear involved, and he had a long day of conditioning, and weight and resistance training planned for them – he explained that if she could keep up and complete the day's exercises without issue, then he would return her 3DM gear to her simple as that, and she could report for duty same as always.

In truth, he hadn't actually known what to expect from her. It wasn't that Petra had atrophied or that her body was permanently weakened after a mere two weeks, but admittedly, he wasn't sure if a mere three days of proper sleep and nutrition would be _enough_ to properly restore her lacking strength and focus.

Regardless his reservations, Petra had excitedly agreed to his offer, skipping off to her room and changing into appropriate attire as she prepared for not another day of miserable _cleaning_, but for a day of actual _work_. As the day progressed, Levi could tell she was still a little slow to the draw and her immediate reserves of stamina had suffered, but on the whole, she had kept up well enough where he felt comfortable in allowing her to return to the squad without fear of her injuring herself or others. As a result of his decision, he had received a rather awkward hug when he attempted to return her gear to her, because instead of grabbing the components out of his hands, Petra lunged and wrapped herself around him instead, so the metal devices were sandwiched uncomfortably between their bodies as Petra embraced him tightly, laughing like an idiot and completely carefree because apparently cleaning for three days straight was a rather…miserable fate. The rest of the Squad had all seen this interaction, and Levi couldn't help but feel slightly self-conscious as she continued her sudden hug, hearing deep chuckles that were undoubtedly at his expense. Eventually Levi groaned and rolled his shoulders, signaling that it was high time she release him, and as Petra stepped back, grabbing her gear from him and grinning ear to ear, Levi couldn't help but look into the ground as he collected himself, still hearing further chuckles from his men because even if _Petra_ didn't notice it, the men certainly had.

Levi was blushing.

While she had gotten her 3DM gear back and joined them for training each day, Levi still controlled her free time for the next few nights with tasks and assignments that went anywhere from cleaning or paperwork or extra shifts of stables or kitchen duty. He wanted to ensure that she didn't receive too much freedom at once and subsequently fall back into her old habits again. After a few more nights of intentional supervision, he eventually, begrudgingly returned her folders to her as well, having one more serious conversation with her about her boundaries because if she faltered like this again, there would _be_ no returning of the documents after a few days of good behavior – she would simply be done, as he would pull the plug and that would be the end of it.

Petra had watched him in surprise, but agreed. She would find a way to balance her work,_ truly_ balance it, because she couldn't afford to waste more time and she had a deadline to meet.

It had taken just shy of a week, but Petra was_ officially_ freed from corrective action.

…

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End of Chapter

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…

Alright, and that wraps it up for this week as well!

In terms of writing, I was able to write about two full chapters this last week – granted it's not edited so it's sloppy and desperately needs some cleaning up, but I've been focused and intentional and I'm making progress soo yeah, I'm feeling pretty good.

I will try to really keep my nose to the grind this next week as well, that way come this next update, I'll plan to give the _official _verdict of how my updates will go for the next handful of months to come. So far I'm optimistic, but I'll go through all the new material, separate it out into chapters, and make the official judgement call from there based off how far ahead I am and what's practical for me. As a whole, I want to stay a consistent 10ish chapters ahead of what's posted here on Sunday (that gives me time to go BACK and make any adjustments if something in the cannon changes), so if I can keep to that ratio we'll be good to go and the weekly updates can continue as scheduled.

Fingers crossed yall! See you next Sunday!

~Midnight


	37. The One Where They're Locked Out

Hey guys!

Happy Sunday and as always, thanks for the well wishes, encouragement, all that good stuff. We are still steamrolling down and getting this story knocked out section by section. I'm happy to say that I was also rather successful at writing new material last week as well – some EXCELLENT material if I do say so myself – and I can't wait for yall to eventually get to the material I'm writing up in the present plot. Lots of fun!

As for the schedule and what to expect at the new year, I'll sound off on the bottom for that one, and in the mean time – happy reading!

…

* * *

…

Levi was sitting in his office, forcing himself to be diligent and keep up with the paperwork because it had only been a few weeks without Petra's help and he was determined to not fall behind as a result – it was technically his job after all - but a sudden knock at the door grabbed his attention. He looked up in question as the door opened, and Eld stood in the open doorway, having opened the door almost to the fullest extent.

"Captain…" Eld began with a certain degree of urgency, "I uh…"

"What is it?" Levi pressed firmly, noticing that Eld's body language was tense with worry. The fact that he was getting tongue tied only further concerned him, as thinking on his feet and responding without hardly missing a beat was an admitted strength of Eld's. Something must have been wrong.

Eld looked down the hall and his eyes narrowed as though in deep thought, "It's… Petra."

Levi cocked his head, "Oh?"

He was already in the process of preparing to get out of his chair in immediate response, when the knowledge that it was_ Eld _speaking crossed his mind, and he gave a long sigh as he relaxed back in his seat, not wanting to play into his hand or jump to any conclusions simply because her name was said.

He had just seen her last night and she had seemed fine, so he couldn't see a need for Eld to be so worked up about whatever was going on. She had perhaps gone through a more difficult week, but for the most part she had taken it with grace, and he felt confident that she had come out better for it. Her gear was returned, she had access to evening free time again – it wasn't perfect, but it was a start.

Yet still, he wasn't blind to the fact that she was under immense stress even now. He had forced her to take a step back and breathe a little, but he knew full well that her task never fully left her mind and a large part of her drive to regain her freedom was simply so she could get back to her research and head dive right back into the same madness that had lead her astray in the first place.

Perhaps she was overdoing it again.

Levi returned his subordinate's gaze flatly, an almost casualness to his voice as he responded, "I presume she's just crunching more numbers. By now I'm sure she's told you of all people, but Erwin's got her on a bit of a project. If you're trying to tell me that she's being over worked, save your breath. I didn't want her to have any part in this, but it's what she's chosen and considering Erwin outranks all of us, it's out of my hands."

"It's Saturday though," Eld responded quickly, as though that would somehow change matters, "We're off duty all day so-"

"That didn't stop her last weekend. Or the weekend before that."

"Well sure, but-"

Levi clicked his tongue, finding that, while unintentional, Eld's reminding him of the fact that Petra had so easily returned to her folders the _second_ she had been able to, soured his mood and bit at his pride like a flame because perhaps some part of him had been hoping that after a week of clearing her head, she would have let it go.

But no.

Of course not.

"It's got nothing to do with me. Stop meddling and let her be."

"I'm not trying to meddle, I just thought that if you went and-"

"Oh right." Levi cut him off with a sarcastic nod of his head, "You think that I've got some special pull over her or that I 'have my ways' of getting her to respond how I want? Well let me tell you, Erwin thought that too, and it just goes to show you that he's not right about everything. Considering that she's huddled in her room with every scrap of records the Regiment has to offer within the last five years, even after I…" he took a deep breath and exhaled through his nose, not wanting to bring up that conversation again, nor the efforts he had taken this past week alone to keep her on the straight and narrow. He scoffed, "Well. It seems Petra is more independent than either of you accounted for."

Levi looked toward his desk bitterly, certain that the discussion had been brought to a rather blunt, but truthful end. "There's nothing I can do here Eld, so best leave it be."

Instead of walking away, Eld gave a long sigh and stepped further into the Office, his eyes narrowed in concern, "Levi…she's crying. Loudly. In all my years in working with her, I've never seen, or heard her this upset."

He paused as Levi fell perfectly still from behind his desk, the man's attention obviously perked from the bit of divulged information. Eld continued, "The guys and I, we could all hear her from our room and when we tried to check on her…it didn't go well. We knocked on the door but she didn't respond; just kept crying about who knows what, as though she didn't even hear us. After a few tries and still no response, we decided to come get you because, well, you are her husband, and the Captain and…we don't know what else to do. Something's wrong with her Levi. We're all worried."

Eld turned over his shoulder as he spoke, looking out toward the hallway desperately, "I know you've tried in the past or whatever but maybe…can you at least just come out and check on-"

Before Eld could even finish his sentence, Levi was already walking past him and out into the hallway intentionally, a scowl on his face as he took large strides down the hall. She was crying? _About what?_ He had just seen her last night! She was fine, she had even appeared to be relatively _happy!_ What the hell had happened?

His anger, his exasperation, his patience, all were being stretched thinner and thinner with every step he took as he thought it over because whatever was going on with her, it all pointed back to Erwin and his blatant mind fuckery. He knew this had been a bad idea from the start, and he had told him as much that same day. He knew his subordinates, all of them. Not that he understood them perfectly per say, but he was confident that he had a firm grasp on what they could, and couldn't do – he had to, it was his _job_.

Confusing his subordinates' abilities, either under or over estimating them, was a sure fire way to get them all killed, and he went through pain staking, grueling training exercises that tested both mind and body to see where they each preformed and thrived. It wasn't that Petra wouldn't _ever_ be able to handle this amount of pressure, but plain and simple, she wasn't ready for it _now_. She was only starting to grasp and refine her own unique skillset, and Erwin's methods wouldn't build her up in the least. If anything she would only _survive_ them, and bear the scars of making such a decision whether she was successful or not. It might take him years to chip away at the mental damage, convince her to continue to make her own decisions, that not every decision she made would inevitably lead to her comrades dying all around her.

As he walked, he saw that Gunther and Oluo were stationed outside of her door, worried expressions on their faces as they stared at her bedroom door in obvious concern.

"She's not sobbing anymore," Oluo stated as he neared them, looking back to the door with an irritated expression, "But she still isn't responding to us when we call out to her so…"

Levi nodded and grabbed the door handle, not paying the rest of his squad much mind as he tried to enter the room, but stopping short when the handle didn't budge.

"Yeah, she locked it." Oluo stated simply, and Levi sighed. He took another step toward the door, leaning into the wooden surface as he prepared to speak. He knocked on the surface, "Petra. Unlock the door. I know you can hear me."

"Believe me, we've tried that Captain but," Gunther whispered beside him, though Levi continued.

"Either you unlock the door or I break it off its hinges - you decide. You've got ten seconds."

"Granted, we didn't try that…" Gunther whispered, and under any other circumstance, Levi may have smirked in response. It was true that his methods were lacking the_ gentle_ approach that others may have taken, but as it stood, he wasn't in a good mood and subtlety wasn't his forte. His primary focus was simply on getting into the room and seeing Petra. He hadn't heard anything at first, but with him being pressed up against the door, he could hear that she was still actively crying, but the sound was muffled, as though she were crying into a blanket or pillow.

A silence fell across the area, and Levi merely stared into the door narrowly.

"Five seconds Petra."

He decided to push her a little further, because it wasn't a mere threat – he had no problem kicking her door in considering this behavior was so unlike her that he understood full well why his squad had sought him out, but if it could at all be avoided, if she could prove she wasn't so far gone that she was all but catatonic – that would make them all feel better. He continued, "It'll be a real hassle to get a new door you know. And I'm not filling out the maintenance request either. You'll have to fill it out, take it to Erwin, explain to him why your door got broken down in the first place and-"

Because his hand was already on the handle, Levi felt when the device turned ever so slightly and was unlocked from the inside. Seeing the ghost of a smirk and light flash of relief across his face, Eld spoke from beside him, "Did she unlock the door?"

Levi merely gave a nod, waving his hand in silent communication to back away and give him a bit of space. He doubted that the first thing Petra wanted to see was the entire squad staring into her room all at once, during what he could only imagine was a rather low and vulnerable moment in her life.

They took a few steps back away from her door, and when Levi was certain that they weren't all crowded around him, he pushed the door open just slightly, peering inside quietly. The room was somewhat dark – it looked as though she had closed the curtain so the sunlight wasn't as prominent in her room – and he blinked when he finally found her form.

She was sitting on the floor, resting her back against the frame of her bed with her arms wrapped around herself tightly, making a ball of sorts with her body. Her head was tilted down into her folded legs, and though he couldn't see her face, it was obvious she was crying.

Around her were countless folders, papers all over her floor, notebooks with various numbers and diagrams; there was no walking space in her room. There were just papers. On her dresser, on her bed, piled up in corners and stacked at various places – papers.

He quickly closed the door behind himself, eyes wide at the disaster that was her room, but more than that, the disaster that was Petra herself. He was admittedly at a loss, because just yesterday… yesterday she had been fine! What had happened that had caused her to go from chipper and motivated to…_this?_

He carefully planted his steps, treading lightly as he moved and almost cringing at the sounds of papers crinkling under his boots as there was no where he could step that wouldn't be over some form of document. He kneeled in front of her, grabbing her shoulders firmly and giving her a slight shake as he spoke firmly, "Alright Petra, what's this about?"

She slowly raised her head and as her eyes locked with his, her eyebrows knit together as she tried to return his gaze, but at once she hung her head as a loud sob left her and she shook her head miserably. Though it was hard to understand her, she attempted to speak between her tears, "Captain I'm-" another sob left her and her voice cracked, "so sorry!"

His mouth fell open as he stared at her in surprise, more than at a loss and admittedly worried with her strange behavior. He had to agree with Eld's assessment; in all his years of being her Captain, he had never seen her cry like this before. It made him feel uneasy, unequipped, because he didn't know what he was supposed to do or how he could even help. He didn't even know what was wrong.

"I tried," she continued between deep breaths, looking up at him with wide, almost panicked eyes, "but I fell behind, so then you took the folders, and I had to earn them back, and now that I did… I still can't do it and I realized what a failure I am and…Captain it's all my fault!" she took a deep breath and cried loudly, staring into the floor with a faraway, haunted look, and Levi frowned as he understood the nature of her tears. As expected, it_ was_ the mental strain – the weight of the burden she had chosen to bear was enormous, and she was completely cracking under the pressure because she believed the reality of the upcoming deaths fell squarely on her shoulders. He had expected a similar outcome, and yet…

"I wanted to make you proud; I wanted to save my comrades. What's so wrong with that, right? I told myself that I was stronger now and…" she looked at him directly, her eyes boring into his as she spoke in resolve, "I'm useless aren't I? All this time on your squad and nothing has changed! I really can't do anything unless it's mere _backup_ to someone else!"

"Stop."

"My solo kill record is the lowest on the squad, I'm not a leader like you or Eld, I'm not as smart as Hanji or Erwin, I'm not physically strong like Gunther or Oluo, I'm only here at all because _you_ stepped in and I just – I'm just wasting everyone's time! I serve no purpose here!"

Levi's grip on her tightened until she all out winced, the pain causing her words to cease as Levi's patience was tested, "Stop _talking_ like that. You know full well that's not true and if you're looking for _pity_, then you should have let Eld in when you had the chance. As it stands now, I'm the _wrong man_ to cry to; I _told_ you to drop it numerous times and you didn't fucking listen, so enough with your fucking sob story because it's pissing me off."

Petra whimpered and gave a timid nod, "Yes, sir. I'm sorry, sir."

Levi groaned as he released her, crossing his arms and watching her flatly, "What I want to know is where's this all coming from? You earned your folders back and get to spend all day today and tomorrow doing your research – don't tell me you've given up. Not that I would actually _complain_ about that but…"

Petra stared into the floor again, her voice a whisper, "No, I can't. I definitely can't give up…It's just…Erwin was here earlier and he -"

Levi's expression narrowed, his voice taking a sudden edge, "…What?"

Petra had attempted to speak further, but her voice cracked and tears began streaming down her face with greater force. Levi felt a growl build in his throat at her sudden inability to speak, and he repeated hotly, "You said _Erwin _was here? What happened? When? Petra, what did he say to you?"

Petra swallowed as though trying to reign in her emotions and she slowly spoke, each word clearly spoken with great difficulty as she refused to meet his gaze, "He_ said_ that he wanted to remind me that-" her voice cracked and she bit her lip sadly, "that here's only three months left until the next Expedition, and that on Monday, they are going to start implementing his plan, considering-" A broken sob left her forcefully, wracking her shoulders and making her breathing spike from the force of her tears, her voice high and desperate, "Considering I wasn't able to figure anything out after all!"

Levi's mouth fell open as Petra's tears continued streaming down her face, and he clamped his mouth shut as she leaned forward into the ground, all but bowing in shame as she cried openly in unrestrained sorrow. Levi set his jaw in outrage as Petra continued, her voice muffled by her bent position, "He said that if I could figure something out in the next few weeks, then maybe they might be able to implement it into training and the men still might have a chance so…so Captain, I'm_ trying_ but…" she shook her head mournfully, "But when I think of teams going out past the walls, running into Titans with no avenue of escape, the tremendous fear they'll experience right before death - I can't help but feel that it's my fault that they have to die like that at all and…"

She sat up slowly, bringing her knees back and up into her body, again hugging herself as she spoke with that same haunted look, "I know you said that these sort of roles have consequences, and I know you tried to warn me that I wasn't ready, and even still -" She dropped her head back into her knees and cried, "All I can see is the faces! When I walk out, when we get food, so many faces; people that never agreed to put their lives into my hands, people that would have _never _put their trust in someone like me to begin with! They're all going to die a terrible death and it's all my fault!"

Levi frowned darkly as he watched Petra, seeing firsthand the results of Erwin's intentional power play and manipulation.

"That bastard." He mumbled to himself as he stood up from the floor, away from Petra and out of her room without another word. When he walked out, he was instantly flanked by the rest of his squad, who was already walking with him step for step as he made his way down the hall intentionally.

"What's going on?" Oluo was the first to ask, and Levi gave a nod in acknowledgement, looking to his right toward where Eld was stationed, ignoring Oluo's question in favor of issuing orders.

"Eld."

"Sir."

"You stay with Petra; the rest of you just go about your day like normal because she doesn't need to be bombarded with your concern. For the most part, she's fine; nothing that can't be addressed. You did well to come and get me though, so thank you for that."

Eld kept pace with him and watched the Captain with concern, "No problem. So you want me to just…stay with her?"

Levi nodded, "Yeah. More importantly, make sure she doesn't try to get back to studying any of the papers for the time being. I don't care how you do it, but she is not to look at a single number until I get back."

Oluo spoke again, his voice laced with accusation. "And what will_ you_ be doing in all of this?"

While it was obvious Oluo was irritated that he hadn't been granted a more important role, something that involved him being some sort of hero to Petra in her 'time of need', Levi couldn't be bothered to rise to his baiting and continued down the hall just the same. His thoughts were still stuck on the mental picture of Petra, bent in half and sobbing into the floor because of a secret meeting he hadn't been privy to.

His expression darkened, "I've got some _business_ to see to."

At that, he waved his squad off and continued down the hall, frowning.

It wasn't but two minutes later that Levi was at Erwin's door, not even sparing a moment to knock before he barreled into his office in outright anger.

Inside the room, Erwin was sitting behind his desk, looking at some papers passively, and just to his right, Hanji was sitting up on his desk, eating her lunch and in the middle of laughing about who knows what. Eyes widening at Levi's sudden arrival and seeing the clear outrage on his face, Erwin looked toward Hanji in alarm, shoving her off his desk with an intentional push, already knowing what was coming as Levi tightened his fist and flew over his desk – _also _using his free arm to shove Hanji away so that she wouldn't get caught in the crossfire.

The Captain's fist connected firmly with Erwin's jaw, and as Levi flew forward, up and over the desk, all three members of leadership hit the ground with a solid thump – Erwin from being hit, Levi from his leaping frontal assault, and Hanji from being shoved by both men a mere split second before.

Hanji, slightly disoriented and now showered in bits of lettuce and dressing, peered behind the desk in alarm, seeing Levi was crouched over Erwin, a murderous expression over his face as his hands tightened around the Commander's collar until his knuckles were white, and she exclaimed in obvious alarm, "Levi what – what's gotten into you?!"

Levi's grip remained steadfast, and while he had only hit him just the one time, his free hand was balled into a fist even now and pulled back in preparation, as though he was still undecided on if he would hit him again or not. He didn't even blink at Hanji's question, merely remained staring down at Erwin in undisguised fury, his voice loud and audibly dripping with rage, "I _told _you that I didn't want Petra involved in your games, and you met with her this morning behind my back? Erwin, she's_ my _subordinate, _not_ yours and-"

Erwin smirked a bloody smile at Levi's words, his speech only slightly slurred from his cheek that was already starting to swell, "Oh, made you angry with that, did I? I'm curious Levi, are you mad that I went behind your back, or are you mad that I _upset_ her?"

Levi pressed his lips together and gave his collar a firm shake, earning a pained groan from Erwin as Levi's force made his head rattle painfully into the ground, "Both, you manipulative fuck, and if I were you I'd wipe that smug grin off your face before I _pound _it into the floor."

"Hey now, that's enough!" Hanji stated firmly as she stood up from the ground, and the Captain spoke through gritted teeth, "This doesn't concern you Four-Eyes, get out."

The Scientist was about to speak, mouth open and eyebrows knit together in offense, but Erwin tilted his head back against the floor so he could look at her directly, "Hanji." He gave her a single nod and she rolled her eyes, knowing that he was also dismissing her. She groaned but said nothing further, dusting herself off as she moved out of the room and going as far as shutting the door behind her so no other Scout's walked by and saw the two men, quite literally, at each other's throats.

As soon as the door clicked into place, Erwin looked up at Levi flatly, seeming to accept his fate and whatever beating Levi intended to dole out on him, as he didn't even try to fight against him, "I'm only doing what's best for the Scout Regiment, Captain."

Levi snarled, "Bullshit. We both know you like to gamble, but it's not a gamble when the odds are stacked so highly against you and you take the bet anyway – that's just sheer stupidity, you condescending jackass."

Erwin's expression remained unchanged, "High risk, high reward."

Levi leaned forward, voice low as he threatened the man outright, "Let me tell you one more time Erwin. Don't. Fuck. With my squad. I don't care how many brats you send off to their graves, the lies you tell, or the secrets you bury - but leave my team_ out_ of it!"

Levi stared down at him forebodingly, and eventually, Erwin quirked an eyebrow and gave a single nod, "A question for you to consider, Captain."

Levi ground his teeth together and pressed out in irritation, "Fucking _what_."

Oh how he _hated _being at odds with Erwin. As strong as Levi was physically, he was vastly outmanned_ mentally_, and no matter how black and white an issue seemed at first, Erwin always seemed to find a way to alter his perspective, where by the end it was a mess of greys and indecision. The man was a master of manipulation, a cunning tactician, and a genius at verbal banter – it wasn't often that Levi could walk out with his head held high after exchanging blows with the man, either physically or verbally.

Erwin gave a simple shrug at Levi's unpleased question, and watched him directly, "You seem to be rather upset by all of this – it's been _years_ since I've gotten you this riled up – but I have to wonder, would you be this upset had it been…say, a _different_ member of your squad? Maybe Eld or Oluo, perhaps?"

Levi rolled his eyes and scoffed, "All their abilities are so different, it's impossible for me to-"

Erwin gave a laugh that cut off the irked Captain, quirking an eyebrow as he smirked up at Levi, "And now it's _my _turn to call _your_ bluff."

Levi's eyes narrowed and a tense silence fell over the room as both men stared into each other in challenge. Erwin watched him sternly, _intentionally _as he addressed him, "It's time to face the facts Levi – you were an unfocused mess at the collaboration meeting, you've been micromanaging her for weeks now, you're prepared to rip me to shreds for hurting her…Petra's _changed_ you. You're protective of your entire squad to be sure, but with Petra, your methods have notably changed. You've gotten rather attached to her and frankly…"

Erwin paused as a sort of laugh left his chest and Levi's eyes widened at the Commander's words, "I'm _happy_ for you, Levi. I had always hoped, always believed that good would come out of your marriage to her, and sure it looked a little rocky at first, but look how far you both have come since."

Levi blinked in surprise at the change in tone, some of his anger melting away in exchange for complete _confusion_ because it seemed like such a night and day switch between topics – and yet. Levi's eyes narrowed and Erwin simply nodded knowingly, "It's hard for people like us to find happiness, wouldn't you say? Granted it was unexpected and came about in an unorthodox way, but there's a certain contentment about you now that has always been lacking in the past. Petra satisfies you, and as much as you want to push her away, it seems you've finally come to terms with the fact that you're too selfish to let her go." He chuckled and watched Levi with an amused sort of smirk, "It's certainly about time."

Erwin exhaled as Levi tried to fumble for some retort –_ any _retort that might restore his control of the conversation because he was _furious_ dammit! – and a more serious expression returned to the Commander's face, "That's well and all, and I hope that you continue to allow her to soften your life because _she _deserves happiness every bit as much as you, but I would issue you a reminder that you need to be less biased in the future, because your bonds with her are skewing your judgement._ Petra_ can be fixed. The_ dead_ cannot. I feel the need to remind you that as the Commander, I have every right to utilize whomever I see fit, and that _includes_ your squad."

Levi had been listening to his words with a small amount of continued shock, however when Erwin had finished his last statement, a sort of warning growl tore out of his throat and Erwin held up a hand, continuing quickly before Levi started swinging at him again, "_However. _I value your squad, I value the skills you_ alone_ bring to the Regiment, and what's more, I value our _friendship_. Because of this, you have my word that going forward, I will trust your judgement in terms of how you want your squad to be managed, and of course, that includes Petra."

Levi gave a tense exhale and stared down at Erwin flatly, finding that as usual, he felt rather unsatisfied. His grip loosened just slightly on the man's collar, and he shook his head bitterly, "To be honest, I had planned on hitting you at least once more, considering the _mess_ you've left behind for me."

Erwin merely sighed, "If you would avoid the face please? I know you're mad and all, but I've got a meeting with Pixis in less than an hour and it's going to be hard enough to talk as it is with this swollen cheek and fat lip you just gave me. You know Levi, I'm pretty sure you nearly dislocated my jaw. Was that necessary?"

"You're meeting with Pixis?" Levi repeated in question, and Erwin gave another nod.

"Gas shortage."

"Ah."

A silence extended, and Erwin somewhat shifted beneath him uncomfortably, "Look, sorry to rush you Levi, but can you make up your mind? As much as I feel I should be honored, what with you being on top of me like this-" Levi's eyes narrowed at his friend's choice of words, and Erwin grabbed the shorter man's wrists, forcing the Captain's grip to weaken further as Erwin shifted himself upward into a sitting position "You're extremely heavy."

Levi exhaled tensely and moved off from him as he stood up from the floor, even going as far as to help pull Erwin upward. Erwin rubbed his jaw and wiped the blood from his still bleeding mouth, looking at Levi and shaking his head, "Like I said it's been a few years; I forgot how much this hurts."

Levi crossed his arms and watched him flatly, an irritation still very present in his tone, "I'm not apologizing."

Erwin looked toward him and smirked, rubbing his jaw and giving a slight chuckle, "Oh? Well that makes two of us."

Levi's eyes narrowed and he stared at the blonde in warning, "If you want me to hit you again, you could save the baiting and just ask. I'm still weighing my options because I'm not exactly satisfied."

Erwin rolled his eyes, knowing that Levi was not making an attempt at humor and he began to reorganize his desk from the papers and books that had gotten disarrayed from the scuffle, "Don't you have some place to be, Levi? Perhaps with a certain subordinate of yours? Or really _anywhere_ else that doesn't involve threatening me?"

He exhaled thickly as he watched Erwin fix his desk back to his liking, unable to stop the impulse to restack the papers Erwin had just set aside, as they weren't actually straight. "Well no thanks to you, _yes_ I have some place to be. A certain subordinate of mine is presently in _hysterics_, and the rest of my squad is terrified as a result and is pacing near her bedroom door even now. It's like a damned stack of dominos back there."

Erwin gave a sympathetic smile, and nodded in sudden understanding, "Is that so? Well for _that_ you have my apologies as that wasn't my intention."

Levi grumbled and turned toward the door, irritated that Erwin had somehow managed to get off the hook so easily. He felt as though he had something more to say, some threat that hadn't been communicated to his liking, but as the silence extended, he groaned and walked out without another word.

As usual, he wasn't sure who had come out on top in the end.

Probably Erwin, same as usual.

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End of Chapter

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…

Okay, so insert speech about how much I love this chapter, because I really, really do. I think my personal favorite moment is when Levi is like, if you wanted pity, you should have let Eld in because I don't _do_ pity. Yes, Levi's character _will_ change and develop throughout this story, but at the end of the day, he's still Levi. (And I live for it.)

I love this whole mini-arc of Petra's stumbling about, and while I won't give any spoilers away, out of all the material I've written out (Total of fifty seven, edited, post ready chapters guys! TOLD you I've been working!) this chapter that's coming _next_ week is…probably my top three? I don't know what my number one or two is, though I of course love the ring shopping and the conversation they have on the walk back from the banquet. Author's top picks :)

Now, lets talk material and schedule. So I know I've shared that I've been really, really diligent in wanting to get new material on the ready, because I never want to get at a place where I'm less than ten chapters ahead so therefore have to post less frequently, and thanks to these past three weeks of insane focus, I'm back to twenty chapters ahead, on the nose. *insert sigh of relief* What this means for my_ lovely_ readers, is that at the New year, weekly updates will continue going strong! Bring out the celebratory canons! Praise the Walls!

Thus far, I can promise continual updates on a weekly basis through all of March, and then I'll take a look at the start of April and revisit the subject once again.

Oh, as an additional heads up, I stated a few months back (for anyone with an eye for details) that I would be doing an update on Christmas Eve and….while I _have_ the material….eh, just…it's not going to happen. Yall know I'm married, have a kid, and have all the same hectic schedules as everyone else during the holidays, so I can't really guarantee I'm going to have additional time during that week to spot edit and post. My sincerest apologies for biting off more than I can chew on that note, but I'd rather just tell yall that now.

Of course, I wish everyone a _wonderful _holiday season, and for those who were looking forward to a Christmas update from little ol' me, might I recommend my (granted its pretty old and I'm a better writer now buuuttt) Christmas piece, Walls Day? For those itching for some new material? No obligation guys, I just feel a little guilty because I really thought I'd give you an additional chapter that week as a Christmas gift from me to you, but just not going to work out.

I WILL however, for sure, be posting an extra chapter on NEW YEARS DAY instead, to somewhat make up for it and start the year out strong. That week is a lot less hectic for my family, and I'll make it happen for yall then – same business as usual, morning time, all that jazz. Either way, I'm super stoked to wrap up this year, and to start a fresh new one with yall. Till next week everyone!

~Midnight


	38. The One Without Love

Hello to all my lovely readers!

Tis the update before Christmas and my gosh yall, hasn't this year just flown by? It's insane to me that I've been writing this story for a little over a year now (started writing it about this time last year but didn't start posting until the Spring) and the fact that I'm still going strong and getting those plot pieces lined up into place, man, it's just crazy to me to think about!

As always, huge shout out to those who have supported me and the new readers that we've gained along the way. Yall have made this writing journey my undisputed favorite season of writing thus far, and I hope to keep bringing you content that keeps you coming back each Sunday for the next piece.

Onto the next chapter, yall enjoy!

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…

When Levi had moved back into Petra's room, Eld had stood up sharply the moment he came through the door, meeting him in the middle of Petra's bedroom with a look of concern. Petra was still in the same spot as before, in the same position even; legs cradled up against her and her head bowed into her legs, holding herself tightly.

Eld looked at Petra for a long moment, then shook his head and looked back toward Levi, "Captain, she hasn't moved. She keeps mumbling something about _'the faces' _and won't even look at me. Should we get the doctor or something?"

Levi exhaled and looked toward Petra flatly as he walked past Eld and came to stand near Petra's side. He tapped her side with his boot in a sort of shove, "Oi, is that true Petra? Eld is taking time out of his day to be a friend and you can't even acknowledge him? That's a shitty thing to do, don't you think?"

"Levi!" Eld's tone was one of shock and offense, having watched as the Captain shoved her with his foot in disbelief. While it was hardly more than a firm nudge and certainly wouldn't hurt her, the fact that he was being so stern with her was surprising, "She's in distress - Go easy on her!"

Levi crossed his arms and looked back across the room toward Eld, "Thank you Eld, I can take it from here." He looked down at Petra and continued with authority, "Get up, Petra. Now."

Eld had opened his mouth to speak, about to once again come to Petra's defense because it was clear that she was going through some sort of crisis – what she needed was a _friend_, not a task master – but at the Captain's firm command, Petra actually _looked up toward him, _something that she hadn't done for him no matter how many times he had begged her, and a sort of understanding came over him.

Eld watched this interaction with a silent wonder, and finally, he sighed, "…I'll leave her to you then, Captain."

Levi smirked at his easy retreat and nodded an unspoken thanks, watching as Eld left the room and finally with a resigned sigh, focused back on the task at hand. He looked down at Petra and quirked an eyebrow, "You going to get up?"

Petra seemed to consider his question as she looked up at him, her face red and eyes swollen from her tears. She shook her head back and forth, and while Levi would have preferred she respond verbally, he supposed it was a start.

"Very well then Petra." He crouched down to the ground and picked her up into his arms, carrying her easily as he stood back up from the ground. She had hesitantly wrapped her arms around his neck with wide eyes, more from surprise than acceptance of being carried, and her eyes spoke of question.

He walked toward the door, "You need some fresh air. We're going outside."

Her expression fell and she gave him a pained look, shaking her head once and actually burying her face into his chest - something that admittedly surprised him, feeling her hot breath bleed through his uniform as she looked away from him as though _hiding_.

"Don't like that idea?" he stated lowly as he moved out of her room and began walking down the hall, "Let me guess, you can't bear to look and see all the Scouts going about their day, completely unawares, and having no idea the change that's about to happen come Monday? Fucking _tough_ Petra, because even if it hurts, you can't avoid the pain by hiding in your room forever like a damned coward. You'll _have _to face them eventually and the sooner you get that through your stubborn head, the better. Now, hold your head up high and stop soaking my shirt with your tears and snotty nose; it's fucking _gross_."

Petra stiffened in his hold and looked up straight toward him, a defiant fire in her eyes as her face turned red in clear embarrassment.

He remained staring ahead but gave an almost imperceptible nod, "Look at that glare. That's more like it, Petra."

By the time they had gotten out into the lobby and were nearing the door outside, Petra had shifted in his arms, mumbling with slurred words that she could walk on her own. He had set her down onto the floor and opened the door, waving his arm when she merely stared outside as though he had opened the door to another dimension. After a long stare down, she took a deep breath and walked outside.

Their walk that followed had been quiet, mournful – but Petra_ was _up and moving and her tears had finally ceased, so Levi supposed it was a step in the right direction.

As they moved down the dirt path that encircled the grounds during their walk, from time to time they ran into fellow Scouts who would give Petra a long stare, because it was obvious she had been crying desperately, and would almost immediately give Levi a dirty, _scathing_ look of accusation, before continuing about their day and muttering lowly to themselves - as though it were so clear that_ he _had done something to upset her.

Because Petra was walking with her eyes on the ground, still unable to meet the gazes of her fellow comrades, she missed their judgmental stares entirely, but _Levi _did not. While their venomous stares and hushed whispers didn't have their intended impact, making him feel neither angry or 'ashamed' of himself, he couldn't deny that it stirred a sort of pensiveness within him after receiving glare after glare without fail. Was it the feeling of irony he was experiencing? Nostalgia? Perhaps a sort of dark humor?

Not so long ago, _Petra _couldn't walk out of the Compound without being mocked and ridiculed for her involvement with him as the rumor mill had tainted her reputation, but now that the rumor mill spun the _other_ direction and painted her as some sort of tragic heroine, now it was_ him_ that received the dirty looks that communicated one single fact resoundingly:

_He did not deserve Petra._

She was now viewed as the darling of the Scout Regiment, and him? He was the stone-cold Captain that was keeping her captive. Their glares spoke of jealousy, distrust, and resentment, and for Petra, pity, and their doe eyed 'best of luck' sort of condolences. It was becoming an increasingly common occurrence anytime the two were spotted alone together, and he wasn't sure how he felt about it, because some part of him wanted to shout at them that he _already _knew.

He knew better than _anyone_ that he didn't 'deserve' a woman like her – he didn't need their glares to remind him of something so blatantly obvious. _Of course_ he didn't deserve Petra – he had never _asked _for Petra. His entire life had been coated in blood and dark deeds; deception and the cutting down of others so that he himself would survive on the blood and sacrifice of those he had buried – what was more, he didn't even _regret_ it for a single moment. It wasn't that he was _proud_ of his past; he valued human life and hated if and when it came to that point, but in the times where it had come down to him or them, he refused to feel remorse for choosing to press on and fight for his existence.

He had learned from a young age that there were those who were born into a world of happiness and security, and that there were also those who were…_not_. He had _more_ than fallen into the latter category and he understood, as though by instinct, that a life of friends and joys and contentment would never be in the cards for him, no, certainly not for him. Because of his past, or perhaps his past was a mere _result_ of this same internal depravity, but he knew there was something fundamentally _flawed_ within him.

He wouldn't have_ ever_ thought of himself as deserving, nor even _capable_ of being loved by someone, and especially not someone like Petra. He had communicated that very thing, _as blatantly as possible_, that same night he proposed to her. It was only fair that she be warned that he was not able to be such a man.

And yet she was his.

Even if undeserved, even if unwanted or perhaps even some mix of the two – the fact remained that Petra was his just the same. Eld had been nagging him about it for months now, Erwin had made passing remarks of his own, the talk of other people trying to pursue her had greatly if not completely diminished, because word had_ also _gotten around from after the banquet that Levi was a 'jealous' man and would probably_ hospitalize_ anyone who tried to pursue her now.

…. Perhaps an accurate assessment, if he were being honest with himself.

It had been five months since the wedding and no one could deny it – not even him. She was his wife. He hadn't chosen her, hadn't pursued her, romanced her until she pledged her heart and soul to him – he had done none of that.

And yet.

"Levi…" Petra suddenly whispered, and he looked toward her simply.

"Hm?"

"Thank you."

He didn't say anything, and the two continued walking in silence. Eventually, Petra seemed to unwind, slowly and cautiously, returning bit by bit from the safety of her mind and actually start to engage in her surroundings again. She had commented once that the weather was nice, and how she was looking forward to Fall because the summers were just too brutal for her tastes. At one point, she had even looked up after a Scout called her out by name – apparently one of her friends from a different Squad.

Petra had stated it with a sad smile, but she confessed that she knew a decent amount about the various squads and their numbers, thanks to all the reports she had been digging through, and it wasn't likely that any of her immediate friends would go without gas in the months to come.

Levi had decided then was a good time to intervene – change her course of thought before she went down that track again – and pointed to a clearing in the Training Grounds that housed a few tables for outdoor use and training collaborations.

"Let's go over there and sit down. There's a good view from there, you'd like that right?"

Petra made a confused face and shrugged, not sure what he meant by 'A good view'. Of the training grounds? Of the barracks? The campus as a whole? She supposed it didn't matter either way and responded passively, "Well I…guess so."

Levi quirked an eyebrow as they moved off the path, "You guess so? I thought…" he shook his head and blinked, "I thought this was your thing."

"That _what _was my thing?"

She watched him with a look of confusion, and he could only return her stare in equal question, "This." He waved a hand, and when Petra merely watched him in greater confusion, his lips pulled back into a frown and he rolled his eyes, "Oh fucks sake, come _on!_ Walking, talking, the conversations – which _have_ admittedly been lacking, but that's your own damn fault – and the _sunset_? Isn't that like…your magic fucking formula or something?"

Her mouth fell open, about to make a sarcastic retort because of course he would choose now of all times to tease her about it, but when Levi watched her in outright irritation, she realized in surprise that he wasn't teasing, he was being serious – and just like that…she was laughing.

She followed behind him, struggling to keep her footing because she was laughing so hard. She fought to keep his waspish gaze between giggles, "Wait wait Levi, is this…is this a_ date?_"

He glared at her laughter and took a seat at the table indignantly, "Well if it _is_, it's a shitty date because you're fucking _boring_ as hell."

Petra tried to stifle her laughter and attempted to somewhat sober her expression, "Is that so? Well do forgive me, Captain. Afterall, I'd hate to give you such a bad impression on our _first date." _He snorted at her words and she took a seat at the other end of the table, lacing her fingers on top of the table and giving him a baby doll sort of stare, "What can I do to liven things up? Gotta admit, I am curious as to what the notorious _Captain Levi_ is like when he's on an official date."

When he gave her a long stare, Petra leaned forward and grinned cheekily, "You know…you got any moves or special one liners maybe?"

Levi smirked at her enthusiasm; it seemed she believed that he had some sort of routine or pick up lines at his disposal, and he leaned forward, intentionally using lower tones of his voice as he curled his finger to summon her closer, "Well…I have _one._" At his confession, her eyes shone with excitement and he waited until Petra leaned even closer toward him still. He allowed the silence to draw out and he took a breath; finally his expression turned more serious. "I don't fucking _date_. I _told _you that."

He leaned back away from her, smugly, as her previous excitement fell and she crossed her arms bitterly, "You're no fun, Captain. And here I thought you had some secret way of getting women or convincing them to sleep with you. All this time I could have sworn that…" she made a face and blinked in surprise, "I mean, it's just I would have never guessed that you were actually a…"

Understanding what she was attempting to imply, he snorted, "Dating and _fucking_ are two different things Petra."

He grimaced at his words that would undoubtedly fuel the fire, and Petra nodded her head with a smug expression of her own, "Uh-huh. Yeah, you know that's the second time you've hinted at your past harem, Mr. Ackerman, and I do believe it's time for some answers."

Levi's eyebrows furrowed. _Mr. Ackerman? _

He had lived a decent number of years, far more than many had thought he'd see, and he was quite sure that not once had anyone called him 'Mr. Ackerman'. Damn, he felt old.

_Mr. Ackerman._

"Captain." He corrected simply, and Petra only gave a few more smug nods, amused at the odd expression he had shot her and the way he had so uncomfortably shifted in his chair.

"Whatever you will, Captain. Now about that_ harem_ of yours. I understand that being Humanity's Strongest probably comes with a few perks - access to a few clubs after hours, punch cards, free drinks, and all the fancy chairs your heart desires-"

"What the? Where the fuck do you come up with-"

"But." Petra cut him off with a 'serious' expression, "Now that you're an honest man - you're welcome by the way - I must ask that you not live so recklessly."

He blinked.

"I'm serious!" she smirked at his confusion, "I may be a disciplined member of the military but I'm a jealous woman and I'm not afraid to outright slap-a-bitch. So you tell all your women that…that I forbid it!"

Levi snorted and rolled his eyes sarcastically, "Okay, right, I'll try to remember that."

Her expression turned devilish and she crossed her arms impishly, "…So how many?"

He groaned, "Petra, this is hardly a question to be asking your Comman-"

"Oh no, don't you _dare_ hide behind your rank on this one. Come on, tell me. Please?" she asked with a smile, again leaning forward across the table toward him, "It's a simple question Levi – how many women have you made love to?"

At her question, Levi's eyes widened for only a moment, because as it turned out her question _was _indeed simple to answer – more simple than he had originally thought in fact.

"None."

He watched her flatly; watched the confusion come over her face as she reran his answer through her head.

"None?" she repeated as she fell back into her seat, watching him still in obvious question and shaking her head as she spoke, "But you…you _just_ said-"

Levi's voice was quiet, and now it was his turn to lean across the table toward her, his expression serious as he explained simply, quietly, "Don't misunderstand Petra. I've been with…_a lot _of women. More than ten, less than twenty." He gave an _estimated_ answer, because he hadn't bothered to ever keep count, and legitimately didn't know the number even now.

Back in his Underground days, when life had been stressful and each day brought a new hill to die on, he had sought the physical release and comfort that only being with a woman seemed to provide. That's what _everyone_ had done; stricken of all basic human needs and materials – everyone could still _fuck_ because it was free – and what was more, that was the only example he had ever seen in his youth from his clandestine mentor.

So, he fucked too.

As he got older, stronger, less frantic and more settled – certainly more mature – he had found he didn't_ need_ to use women like that. Even still, it was convenient and certainly felt great, so it wasn't until one of the women that he had bedded had attempted to kill him, then and there no less, that he had all but shut down even _that_ avenue in his life, for it wasn't nearly as free as it had seemed when it was all said and done.

Since his time in the Scout Regiment, he had scarcely found himself any of that sort of company – maybe only once or twice, and it was always a nameless_ someone_ that was traveling through, gone just as quickly as they had arrived.

He dared to look up at Petra, curious as to how she might take such a revelation, and her face was narrowed in concern – not concern for herself, not concern in a manner that passed judgment or condemned him, no, it was clearly concern strictly _for_ him. It was as though she knew that, regardless the vast number range he had provided her, his life had been devoid and empty of true connection, and instead of blaming him for his shallow relations, her heart _broke_ for him instead.

He really _didn't _deserve her.

He gave a soft sigh, feeling the need to defend himself even though she hadn't asked. "None of them mattered. I'm not even sure I could tell you any of their names. Not one." He gave a shrug and clarified, "I've_ fucked _people Petra, more than my fair share in fact, but 'made love'…" he almost made a face, feeling ridiculous even _saying_ such a thing. He paused and gave a shake of his head, a dark, hollow sort of amusement causing a half smile to come across his face, "Well. Without _love_, the whole thing kind of falls apart now, doesn't it?"

Petra's mouth was hanging open at his rather _sad _explanation and she sighed heavily, sorrowfully, "Gods Captain. That's seriously…" a hand went to her face and she pushed her bangs to the side in distress, even though they fell right back into place in the very next second, "I mean kudos to you if you are just really into sex, but…something tells me that…" she paused again, unable to find the right words so it seemed as she kept stuttering a few syllables or making conflicted faces before finally giving up with another exhale, "I just…Wow. I'm sorry."

He smirked, almost chuckling as she tried to respond to him, clearly at a complete loss in trying to respond 'tactfully'. "You're sorry for my sex life?"

She watched him seriously then, her green eyes locking onto him firmly, "I'm sorry it's been _unfulfilling_." She corrected, and they both fell silent at the weight of her words, the passion and earnest she spoke with.

Eventually, Levi sighed and nodded toward her intentionally, "Alright. I've told you about my past, now it's your turn."

She quirked an eyebrow and gave a suddenly aloof shrug, "You know, I don't know if this is something that a Captain should be asking his subordinate..."

He bit back a snort and crossed his arms, "Please. I'm asking my _wife_."

Another silence extended, and Petra had been watching him expectantly, waiting for the ever dependable 'only on paper' comment to arise – it had almost become an inside joke to them so it seemed, the answer to their very own knock-knock joke that was so reliable and corny it was almost cringey – and yet Levi merely stared at her in silence.

When she watched him with suddenly wide eyes, _still waiting_, he groaned, "Oh come on, it's only fair. Like your past is worse than mine? You've got the easy part by comparison considering I went first, but fine. I won't judge or whatever, okay?"

Her mouth merely fell open at his words, realizing that even _now_ he didn't realize why she had been watching him so closely. He hadn't even_ thought _about it. He hadn't been making a joke or teasing their strange arrangement – he was _legitimately_ referring to her as his _actual_ wife, as though when he thought of her, their arrangement was not just a slight of hand or a ruse to keep her from her father – he mentally thought of her as his true, side by side, intentional _wife_ now.

….When had _that_ changed?

At the questions that suddenly arose in her mind, the way the thoughts caused her heart to race inside her chest, Levi cleared his throat, still completely unaware as to the true nature of her silence. She took a deep breath, willing her thoughts to retreat back within her mind until she could properly address them later. She refocused her attention and forced a smile onto her face, "My past?"

She took a breath, "Well it's pretty uneventful, and honestly, you kinda already know it."

Levi groaned in dismay, "The boyfriend? For real, that's the only guy? No…drunken one-night stands or anything? No moments of weakness or lonely nights that had you in the arms of another man? Not even_ once_?"

If Petra's words were to be true – and he knew better than to believe she'd lie about something like this – that meant she hadn't been with anyone in close to a decade, and that kind of discipline made him almost ashamed of how weak he was in comparison.

Petra quirked an eyebrow at his clear distress and laughed, "Wait, would you want me to have had various hook ups with people? I get that neither of us could have predicted we'd end up here, but-"

Levi found that she had a point, and he grumbled bitterly, "Of course I wouldn't want that for you. Like_ you_ said so well, hookups happen to be rather unfulfilling – yet even still, it would make it easier if you weren't such a damned goody two-shoes all the time. You're making me feel like a creep."

She gave a fond smile, "Sorry Captain, but like it or not, I _am _disciplined, I have a hard time trusting others I don't know, and it's those same traits that landed me a spot on your squad to begin with." She took another breath and shrugged, "Either way, as for the guy I was with, even that's pretty boring. I started dating a boy and…" she paused and smiled softly, clearly lost in thought as she explained, "Well, I was young and enjoyed being romanced, and eventually, we fell in love. Nothing too serious at first, a stolen kiss here or there, a wandering hand, and eventually…we went all the way."

Levi watched her quietly, and Petra gave a laugh at her memories, "We snuck around for months, being _so_ careful to hide it from my father because, granted he's no Commanding Officer, but he_ is_ a carpenter and can_ really_ do some damage when he's mad – you can guess where I get my temper from – but looking back, it's obvious now that he knew the whole time." She gave a mirthful groan and shook her head, "Gods, we thought we were so clever too."

As she spoke, she gave a chuckle, "You know, the funny thing is – sorry if this is too much information – but I'm almost certain I never actually…Well I mean, _he _would because guys are so simple for that sort of thing, but in figuring things out we never could quite get _me _to-" she looked up at him and bit her lower lip nervously as a deep blush stained her face, "Well, _you know_."

Levi watched her flatly in appraisal, and nodded simply, almost smirking as he responded, "Oh_ I_ know. Do _you_ know? Cause it certainly doesn't sound like it."

She rolled her eyes in embarrassment, "Okay Mr. _Experienced_, laugh it up all you want, but he was my first, and _only_ partner! Neither of us knew what we were doing, and half the time we were so spooked because we didn't want to get caught! In truth though, even though things were messy and it probably wasn't all _that_ great…well, I really cherish those memories. They were very special to me – my first time, with a boy that I truly loved. It was perfect, in that sense at least."

Levi watched her talk, a contentment to her words and he found himself asking, far too quickly, "Do you still? Uh, love him, that is."

Petra seemed to come back to the present at his urgent question, and as she looked at him, she noticed the urgency to his voice and the shadow of fear in his eyes. Petra gave him a warm smile and laughed, "No. He is nothing more than a memory to me, Captain, but a good memory none the less. He was my first in many ways, but he is neither my present, _nor_ my future as that time is well behind me. What, eight years ago now, right?"

Levi gave a nod at her words, but inwardly felt a myriad of conflicted and confusing thoughts. Above all, he found that even though_ he_ was the one that had a much more 'eventful' life in regard to partners and history – even though _his _experience with women was enough where he could perhaps accurately be accused of sleeping around, where his story could very well raise eyebrows and cause Petra to feel devalued considering the many women he had had before her – it was _Petra's_ chaste and humble story that got to him and made him feel agitated and nervous and…fearful.

Their stories were fundamentally different in every way. He had been with multiple partners that hadn't cared for him any more than _he_ cared about them. It had been purely physical; lust and bodies and nothing more. But Petra…Petra had only had _one_ partner – but it had been _the_ partner; the one she admitted so freely that she had once loved, that she had given herself to completely.

There was a bitterness in his mouth and a sour feeling in the pit of his stomach as he thought about her kissing, being _touched_, being pursued and lusted after, being _in love_ with this previous someone, and as much of an asshole as it made him, Levi knew at once that he was _legitimately_ jealous of this some other man that had been with her in the most intimate of ways – not just physically but emotionally, even spiritually if he believed in such a thing. This 'boy' as she called him - he had had every part of her, and him? He had had none of that with her.

The way she smiled as she talked about their past – the fact that even though she could admit that their 'love making' – he mentally winced - had been lousy and she had never even finished, _some lover he must have been_, she_ still_ smiled about it eight fucking years later because even after all this time, it _still _meant that much to her.

He swallowed thickly and set his jaw in continued frustration, almost having wished that Petra had never told him about this boyfriend that had been with her so completely. It wasn't that he wanted to be her first, or that he needed to believe she was 'pure' – he could care less about that because it didn't change her in the slightest – what bothered him, what made the jealousy burn and consume him like a fire licking viciously at his pride, was knowing that there was someone out there who had been with her in ways that to date, he could only dream of.

What was more, even if there were parts of him that did dream, and desire such intimacy with Petra, especially in a physical sense, although he would be lying if he pretended that was the full extent of his desire - he wasn't even sure if he _could_ commit to 'settling down' into a relationship with her. Even now, he wasn't sure about his feelings for her, and she had stated not so long ago that she didn't know her feelings for him either. Their relationship had been _full_ of inconsistencies and question and…what the hell could he even offer her, when compared to a clean-cut guy that had most likely been so ardent in his pursuit of her, fully committed to their relationship and willing to revolve his life around her? What did she possibly see in someone like him, after being with someone like _that?_ Could it be that she was blind perhaps, wearing rose colored glasses, and only seeing him as the man she wanted, rather than the man he _was?_

"Oh no," Petra suddenly groaned, and he almost jolted as her voice took him by surprise, "That face, why are you making that face? Is it because….we weren't married? You…you said you wouldn't judge me!" she stated in a sort of embarrassed groan, covering her hands with her face because she, of course, was already blushing.

Levi swallowed thickly, and wearily shook his head, speaking more to himself in attempts to talk himself down, because his reaction, his distress, wasn't fair. He spoke lowly, "I am in _no_ place to judge you Petra. I should be happy for you, I suppose." He opened his mouth to speak – feeling that he should say something further in affirmation, even if he didn't want to, but thankfully, Petra had turned over her shoulder and suddenly gasped.

"Oh wow Levi! Levi look, the sunset." She gave a contented sigh and adjusted her position on the table so she could get a better angle, "This really _is_ a good view; nice work."

She stared ahead at the sunset and gave a long sigh after a few minutes of silence passed between them, her face sobering to something a little more serious as she spoke, "I know you only told me all of that to…distract me. In fact, I know that you've got _a lot_ of work to get done as I haven't exactly been around to help lighten the load as of late, so the fact you've sacrificed hours of your day to be with me after getting overwhelmed by it all…" she shook her head and gave another sigh, "What's more, you really never open up about your past either; I know it's something you don't like to do and I…appreciate that you trust me enough to say those things. I just want you to know that…I can see you really went out of your way today and…"

She turned over her shoulder and looked at him squarely, "You're a good man, Levi. And I _know_ you don't believe that, so I will keep telling you over and over again, until you get it through your thick Ackerman skull, that you_ are_ in fact, a good man."

She stood up from the table, walking over to his side and leaning over him, she ran her hands down over the material of his jacket, over the Wings of Freedom emblem, and finally, she kissed him.

He tensed at first, because though he had kissed her so many times, this was out in the open and – he had already dismissed the thought, because the fuck did he care. He kissed her back, lightly and gently, following her lead as he knew that there were still some very vulnerable parts of her that he didn't want to damage by being greedy.

She kissed him between words, "And. You're a good Captain." She kissed him and pulled back ever so slightly, scowling at the sudden thought, "Dammit Levi - Why are you so good at _everything?_"

He found he was actually embarrassed by her praise, not because of the words she spoke, but because of the raw conviction she spoke with. She believed them to be true down to her very core, and he…well he supposed he agreed that he wasn't a terrible Captain by any means, but a good _man_? She might very well run out of breath trying to convince him of that one, because he knew himself, and fundamentally, there was no good to be found within him.

He kissed her lightly and willed his thoughts to rest, arching his neck up to meet her from his seated position, and he spoke against her lips, "You think I'm a good Captain?"

"Of course Levi, you're a _great_ Captain. The best."

He put a finger to her lips, pulling his own head back so he could look at her seriously, "So when I tell you that_ as_ your 'great' Captain, I am _ordering_ your project to an end, because I can tell that it's impacting you in ways that are far too dangerous to be left unchecked - when I tell you that I want your room picked up, _spotless_ by the end of the night, and that I want all my folders returned before you go to bed, where you will not_ touch_ them without my express permission, what will you say?"

Her eyes widened at his words, and he held her gaze seriously, communicating wordlessly that he indeed expected an answer. He removed his hand away from her mouth and Petra sighed sadly as she shook her head, "Well…there's only one thing to say." He quirked an eyebrow and she nodded only once, "…Yes, Captain."

"Promise me, Petra." he whispered quietly, an unease in his voice as he spoke seriously, "As more than your Captain, promise me as…well, as your _husband_, that you're done with this sick project, because I really can't watch you live like this anymore. Your _team _can't watch you live like this anymore, and I'm sorry woman, but I'm out of ideas. Just promise me that you'll drop it and go back to how you used to be before Erwin came and fucked it all up."

"Levi," Petra almost smiled at his gentleness, his obvious concern and desperation, and she nodded softly with a wistful expression, "I promise."

He smiled in relief, pleased that for _once_ she was actually following his orders without an ounce of back talk or 'trying to explain her perspective' and he stood up to his feet, pulling her closer toward him – intending to kiss her again, but freezing in place when Petra merely wrapped her arms around him in that moment with a sort of abandon, hands clenching into the back of his jacket as she embraced him tightly. He stiffened in surprise, but his surprise only grew all the more when Petra began crying into his chest, her hot breath bleeding through the fabric of his uniform as she spoke, "I know you're right Captain, but I just…ugh, damn it. _Why couldn't I do it?_ I don't understand. I tried so hard. Why is it that when I need to come through the most, I don't? Damn it! Why can't…why can't I just be…maybe, more like you?"

He found he didn't have an answer for her, so he remained quiet, eventually wrapping his arms around her securely, returning her embrace and holding her patiently as she continued to cry against him.

In truth, he was _glad_ she wasn't more like him. He was flawed – flawed in so many ways that she didn't understand because she was so good with people and blind to her own strengths – but _Petra_, well, he dared say that she was as perfect a woman as he could ever hope to meet.

No, he sighed as he held her small quivering frame, noting that while her goal may have been to be 'like him' – a stupid goal if he had ever heard one – he was certain that she was doing just fine on her own.

…

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End of Chapter

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…

Okay guys…holy cow. I've said it last week, but this chapter here is for real one of my favorite chapters of the entire series. For sure top five, and I'd like to think that I've got close to 3/4ths the story written out at this point? Give or take.

For all those curious, I've read a good number of Levi fics as a whole, especially right before I decided to start writing AOT pieces back in the day to see what others did with his character, and I find it to be a common theme that Levi was consistently a virgin before the official coupling because with him being such a neat freak, I consistently saw that angle being utilized where he wasn't comfortable being physical because it was 'dirty'. While I understand (and respect!) those interpretations…for me personally, I just couldn't see that being a thing and wanted to give a fresh take on Levi and how his upbringing would affect his relations with others, specifically in a physical sense.

Real talk guys. Poverty is hell. Growing up in poverty is _hell._ (#Iwouldknow) His mom worked in a brothel and in a place like the Underground where it's a group of forgotten people left to die where Kenny steps in and teaches him how to make it and actually survive – and with such a mentor, such a backwater hellhole, such lack of government assistance or proper resources, I really can't see it any other way because no one thrives in those conditions guys; you merely_ survive_ them.

So yeah, there's a fresh take for you regarding Levi's situation! As for Petra, man this section breaks my heart because some of the things she says are so painfully relatable that this section can actually make me tear up a little. I understand that heartbreak, when she just has that moral fallout of when I need to come through, when it actually matters, I don't, and what the heck because it seems that everyone else can but me and what's so wrong with me?

More real talk guys – it happens. Everyone has their failures, and everyone has their successes. The bummer is, often times at a moment where you're experiencing a low, someone else is having a high moment in their life and it can make it seem like you yourself are just that much worse off by comparison. Not so yall. They are just in a different time and season in their life, so keep your chin up because things will turn around for you too. In time, and at the _right_ time. You're not a failure :)

Merry Christmas lovelies. Have a wonderful holiday season, drink some cocoa, and I will see you after the holiday, same as usual.

~Midnight


	39. The One with the New Formation

Morning everyone!

Glad to see yall survived the holidays and are in seemingly good spirits :) The last few weeks of the year certainly aren't without some last minute hustle and bustle, and on my end, I'd like to think that it was a happy holiday season! At the very least, my kid seemed to eat their weight in candy canes (kid's an old soul for sure haha) and I don't think it can really get much better than that.

We're gearing up to celebrate the new year and hoping to kick of the first strong. Hope yall have had an awesome 2019? If not, there's only a few days left to trudge through, so we're almost there! As always, yall enjoy the chapter!

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"What do you think it's going to be?" Petra asked as they sat out in the training grounds, enjoying the gentle breeze and the sunlight warm on her face. She looked to her squad and bit back a yawn, the perfect weather of the afternoon all but lulling her to sleep in a much-needed calm contentment.

As promised, Petra had returned her folders and data back to the Captain that same Saturday evening and gone to bed without protest. Sunday had been long and difficult, because it was an entire day that she previously _would_ have used for research, had the Captain not ordered the project to come to a forceful and unsuccessful end. It was with a heavy heart that she returned the data to him, but she had kept her protests to herself as she tried to force herself to take comfort in that she had perhaps given it as best an effort as she could. Granted, it was hard to feel 'proud' of herself when she had literally accomplished _nothing_ that she had set out to do, but how she felt about it be it good or bad simply didn't matter. Emotions left aside; she hadn't produced results. Simple as that.

As though sensing her lack of immediate purpose, Levi had found her shortly after breakfast and confirmed that if she had free time, he had a lot of desk work with her name on it. She had chuckled, confirming that that was a rather strange way of saying 'Petra will you please help me' but admittedly was more than grateful for the distraction, glad to have something productive to do so she wouldn't feel completely useless. It had only happened once, but Levi asked with a sincere, curious expression how she was doing. She responded as honestly as possible – that having something to do_ was_ helping, but she still felt like a complete failure, that she was overwhelmed with guilt and shame, and that she was struggling to come to terms with the fact that she just couldn't pull it off in the end. It was like Levi had said before, some part of her truly seemed to believe that if she just _tried _hard enough, then it would work out. How foolish she had been.

As she explained her thoughts – finally able to talk about it without breaking down into tears – Levi had listened patiently and finally gave his final thoughts on the matter as well. They had a good, final conversation about it, and that had been that. They spent the rest of the day together, getting some of the more in-depth reports updated and prepared for next month's audit – and while it hadn't been easy as her mind kept retreating back to her research, some part of her still refusing to give up come the changes that would take place the following morning - she had gotten through the day just fine, with the help of Levi's watchful gaze and intentional busy work.

As for this morning, she was feeling…perhaps a little wistful, because she knew that somewhere out there were multiple teams that had been told they weren't training with gas today, or any time in the near future – and why it was actually a _good_ thing, no less, because they were going to be the first Scouts to specialize in a combat style that didn't revolve around the 3DM gear.

As much as she wanted to turn a blind eye and avoid seeing the direct aftermath of her lacking results, Levi had _insisted_ thatthe two of them go for a walk so she could see some of these teams with her own eyes – he had even issued an intentional late start for the squad for that one singular purpose because it wasn't a suggestion. At first she had thought he was intentionally being cruel, _making_ her grow thicker skin and looking at her doomed comrades firsthand as some sort of exercise to 'teach her what being a Commanding Officer was all about', but it seemed Levi had something else in mind.

To Petra's surprise, when they had arrived at the other end of the training grounds where the impacted members had been organized for the day's training - there were many members of the _Garrison_ that had arrived to dole out special, intensive training that they found to be most effective when keeping the Titan's from destroying or damaging the outer wall while keeping a safe distance. Levi explained that Erwin had managed to work out a deal with Pixis in order to get his best men to train their Scouts on practical and effective ways to fight Titan's without using the 3DM gear. In truth, it did actually make her feel a little better – made her question Erwin less – because if these people were actually being intentionally trained, now suited for a different style of combat completely that _accommodated_ their lack of mobility, then they weren't as defenseless as she would have thought.

She knew their chances of survival would still be significantly better if they _could_ use the 3DM gear, but all in all, Petra had quietly accepted that Levi had been right all along – Erwin was cunning, and a complete visionary. Even though he doubted himself, his original plan wasn't all that bad, _especially_ now that the Garrison was involved. It was decisive – blood thirsty to make such an aggressive move – but considering _someone_ had to make such a call, she was glad that they had someone like Erwin around.

"Feel better?" Levi asked flatly as Petra observed the teams with a slight wonder, having had no idea that Erwin had a sort of failsafe at the ready (because of course he did) and she gave a simple nod.

After they had walked back, the day began as though nothing out of the ordinary had transpired within the past month. They had trained like normal, did their traditional warm up routine, and then it was right back to the grind of sorting out kinks within the Omega formation. Once lunch break had come and gone however, Levi had lined them up and stated they were going to be doing something_ different_ for the rest of the day, and would be back soon to go over the details. He left after that, giving them no indication of where he was going, when he would be back, or what they should expect for the remainder of the day.

Since then, they had moved to one of the grassy areas of the training grounds and were patiently lounging across the grass while they waited for the Captain to return.

Eld was laying down fully across his back, and he cracked one eye open as he craned his neck upward to look toward Petra. He shrugged before letting his head fall back against the ground, "Who knows what he's planning, he didn't say anything to me if that's what you're wondering. But I say _anything_ is better than the Omega formation, so whatever it is, I'm ready for it. With any luck, it might even take a few _hours_ before we have to get back to the grind."

"Agreed." Oluo stated as he sat up from the ground, "It's been months of the same old thing every day. I can do that formation in my sleep now; I really wish the Captain would shake it up or something."

Petra laughed, nodding her head in agreement before letting her head fall back slightly so she could get a better feel of the sun against her face.

Aside from the bumps in the road of Levi's meetings, the times he had given Command to Eld for whatever reason, it had been months of the same thing over and over again. Even after countless attempts, literally over the hundreds at this point, if not _thousands_, they still had not found the 'ultimate formation' that Levi was seeking – though stubborn as ever, he insisted that they keep working at it because they were seeing progress and just had to keep making adjustments until they got it right.

For the most part, the squad was rather used to it by now and had come to terms with the fact that they would likely be doing this same formation all day, every day, for the rest of their miserable and redundant lives – but the fact that Levi had stated they were doing something _different_ for a change, that had certainly perked their interest.

"The fuck is this?" came a low voice, "I leave for twenty minutes and you are all lounged in the dirt, taking a fucking nap? Up, all of you up. _Now_."

At the familiar and subsequently _angry_ voice, they all snapped up from the ground as though they had been told it was a bed of poison ivy, each surprised by the sudden return of the Captain and somewhat regretting how lax they had fallen in the short time he had been gone.

Petra stood up and nervously dusted herself off, which only caused Levi to roll his eyes as he walked closer to his squad, "Oh yeah Petra, just smear the dirt into your pants like that so they are _officially _stained beyond repair. Real nice."

She cleared her throat in embarrassment and looked into the ground, not daring to make eye contact with him, "Right, sorry Captain."

He stood in front of his team and scowled, arms crossed over his chest as he observed them narrowly, "You're lucky that we have something to do today, otherwise I'd be making you all run laps and undergo body conditioning until you collapsed right back into the dirt you're so fucking fond of. As it so happens however, we_ do _have something to get done so you're off the hook for now. Let's all move over to one of the tables and I'll explain what we'll be doing."

They walked in silence until Levi unfolded a large paper across the surface of one of the nearby tables and leaned over it, looking up toward his team expectantly, "This is a defensive form of surveying that we'll be troubleshooting today – it's intended to be used in dense forests where we are more capable with the 3DM gear, but have a lot more resulting blind spots due to the surrounding foliage. Erwin and Hanji have been working on this for a few weeks now and want us to test it out in a controlled environment like this."

He paused and pulled out a few colored pegs from his jacket, setting them across the paper that diagramed their training grounds, "In theory," he began and pointed to the map as he moved the color pieces across the paper to illustrate, "By rotating and weaving in a vastly spread out formation like this, each team covers more area than the traditional formation that's used right now in expeditions. Theoretically, this should make it where no one is taken by surprise by Titans in the forest; end goal being that we find a safer way to travel through Titan Territory when we are at a visual disadvantage - help combat the low visibility so to speak."

The squad nodded, and Levi diagramed where each of them would be stationed, how they would move from spot to spot, what rotating would look like as they traded positions, and where he expected to run into trouble, if any. He looked up from the paper again, "It's a little complicated, but I can see where they're coming from. We just need to run it a few times; I'll take your feedback plus my own and report back to Erwin and we'll be done for the day. Any questions?"

"No questions," Eld responded as he frowned in concern, standing up straight from the table and crossing his arms, "It's definitely different than what we do now so it would be a hell of a task to retrain all the ranks, and what's more, it requires a lot more movement from every individual. Aren't they worried about overusing gas? It's not exactly an infinite resource out there and we're already on a gas shortage as it is."

Levi stood up and folded the paper again, "That's up to _Erwin_ to figure out. We are simply here to figure out if the formation is successful or not and report our findings – the rest is his damn problem."

Again the squad nodded, and Levi looked up toward the training ground's forest, "Alright if there are no more questions, let's get to it."

Petra followed after her team and propelled herself up into the forest as instructed. It took a while to actually get started once they were stationed in the treetops. Considering it was a brand-new formation and they each were stationed so far apart, Levi had to move from person to person individually, reviewing where he wanted them to start, as well as their next position before finally moving to where his spot in the formation was.

"Is everyone ready?" Levi called out to his squad, practically shouting to make up for the sheer distance between them. His voice was muffled and sounded muddy by the time it reached across the perimeter to where Petra was standing, though she knew roughly what he was saying and gave a thumbs up as a way of response.

Another sound echoed from him across the forest, and this time Petra couldn't quite make out what exactly was said, but was able to fill in the gaps when she saw her team start to move forward in response. She took a few steps until she was in the air and moving in time with her squad mates. She dodged and weaved through the trees, reminding herself to keep an appropriate distance between Oluo who was behind her, and Gunther who was stationed to her left.

Without a doubt this formation vastly differed from what everyone was used to, the changes not exactly subtle. While they normally traveled in a sort of block formation – two in front and three in the back – this was more of a diamond of sorts. Everyone was a _considerable_ distance away from each other and as a result they undoubtedly covered more ground on a team basis – each seeing different segments of the land around them, and the weaving and routing that would come later would indeed make their combined vision virtually 360 degrees as they rotated and guarded each other's backs essentially.

Petra understood the theory behind it, and as she looked around and watched her teammates move as a spread out, but still singular unit, she knew that it was the start of a good idea – but as it was now the formation came with hefty stakes and further adjustments would have to be made before it was rolled out to the entire faction.

While it _would_ ensure that land was scouted more effectively, in the event that a Titan did get past their sights, there was no immediate backup that a person could pull from. Whatever that individual's first move was would be critical, as their team would only be able to arrive a good ten or so seconds later to provide any assistance. If they weren't prepared to handle Titans on an individual basis, this form of surveying would cost more lives than it saved.

There was another sound that echoed across the grounds that grabbed her attention, it was something Levi said she realized, and it took a moment for Petra to figure out what needed to be done due to the distance. He had called the group to rotate to their next position she realized after a few moments of thought, and Petra looked around and watched both Eld and Gunther respond and adjust their positions before she moved, just to make sure she had deduced his order properly.

From a distance behind her, she heard Oluo call something out, she wasn't too sure just what – and when she shot her next wire, her eyes widened when he all but materialized right beside her. Her mouth dropped open in horror as she watched their wires both shoot forward at the same angle, "Oluo, no not that way!"

She wasn't sure what he was doing or why he had broken formation, but it didn't matter – his wire shot forward directly in front of hers, and as a result, her wires clanged against his with a sickening metallic sound. Instead of pulling her to the next tree, her wires hung in the air uselessly, wrapping around Oluo's taut wire, and without any specific pull to any one direction, she was no longer stable in the air - no, she was _falling_.

And fast.

She heard her name called out in alarm, she wasn't sure if it was Oluo or the Captain or someone else that was aware of the situation, but she couldn't focus on that. She tried to adjust her body in the air and pull her wires back to the canister so she could reshoot them, but in an instant she slammed down hard against a tree branch, knocking her head and scraping her body against it before tumbling down all the same, pain wracking through her in waves from the blunt force.

She blinked tears out of her eyes, trying desperately to get her bearings and stop her descent to the ground as quickly as possible. She knew she was high enough in the trees that if she didn't find some way to stop her fall, she could very well die from the impact. Again she slammed roughly onto another tree branch, being flipped in the air slightly and she could feel her skin rip and tear as she slid down the branch's surface with aggressive speed that just kept building the longer she was falling.

She bit her lip and again adjusted her 3DM gear, using the adrenaline coursing through her to her advantage and forcing herself to think clearly past the pain and confusion. She clicked the lever again, trying to force the mechanism to pull in the tangled wire as a last-ditch effort to break her fall. She looked down to the ground nervously, wondering if there even was going to be enough time, before finally hearing a metallic zip and clang as the wires finally retracted into her gear. She looked down to her harness, noting with wide eyes that only _one_ wire had returned. The other was still tangled or knotted against Oluo's, and considering how much line was still left in her canister, Petra knew it wouldn't be pulling taught any time soon. Petra let out a determined exhale, knowing she would have to make it work somehow.

She looked around decisively and shot the lone wire into a wide tree she could make out in her hurried descent. Knowing there was no other wire to even out the pull, she braced herself for impact as the one wire drug her by one side and slammed her roughly into the base of the tree, earning yet again another cry of pain, before she fell down to the ground limply. While it hadn't been pleasant, the push of her momentum into the tree had taken away a large majority of her speed, and she knew the remaining fall wouldn't be fatal.

As she hit the ground with a loud and hard thump; she heard a sort of snap and everything went black.

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Levi called out the next rotation over his shoulder as loudly as he could, knowing that at this point he was at the head of the formation and his squad was a considerable distance behind him.

He supposed that so far everything had gone well enough. The formation was unique and Levi could see where it had its certain advantages, but on the whole, he felt everyone was just too spread out. He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination or perhaps a result of his bad attitude after being forced to be mere guinea pigs, but everyone seemed sluggish to his orders; the formation sloppy and difficult to facilitate; even more difficult to lead.

As he prepared to rotate, there was a panicked and sharp "Oluo, not that way!" from Petra that grabbed his attention, and a strange metallic clang echoed across the forest a split second later.

Something was wrong.

In an instant, Levi reshot his wires to a different direction that would pull him out of the formation to survey what was happening behind him. As he turned in the air with a narrowed critical gaze to see the source of the sudden commotion, time seemed to slow as he watched Petra's intended wire that _should_ have launched her to her next position, fall uselessly through the air without an anchoring point; it's intended trajectory thwarted by a wire that clipped hers perfectly. Worse still, her wire appeared to be grossly tangled with - his eyes followed the straight and taught wire back to Oluo's 3DM gear - who wore an expression of pure alarm from where he was standing on the tree.

If _before_ time seemed to slow as he watched the scene unfold, when Petra began falling, it was as though time actually _sped up_.

Levi cursed under his breath and adjusted his wires once again, springing into action and leaping down off the tree with an aggressive running jump, shooting both wires down toward the forest floor in hopes to intercept her.

Petra was falling to the ground, hitting various branches with great force as she tumbled down to the forest floor, guarding her face with crossed arms in a weak attempt to protect herself. She struggled to get her bearings as she plummeted downward, and try as he may as he weaved through branches and moved toward her as fast as he possibly could, he knew that with her increasing speed and the impossible distance still between them, she would hit the ground before he ever reached her.

Levi looked around perceptively, his mind racing as he tried to think of all his options. If he didn't reach her, she was as good as dead. With how high up they were, with the force she was falling with, there was no way she would survive. There was _no _fucking way. Maybe – maybe if he just moved a little faster, then maybe? If not that, then maybe if he adjusted his _angle_ as he moved to the forest floor…?

He ducked below a tree branch and spun downward; mind focused on the singular task of retrieving Petra before she hit the ground. Hell, he could even shoot his wires into her _directly_ if he just got close enough. It wouldn't be pleasant, but it was better than the alternative.

She couldn't die. Not like this. Not from fucking _training_. That was his _wife_; surely he could protect her from something like this! He growled and ground his teeth as he watched her hit another branch and give a pained, disoriented cry. His feet tapped down on a branch just long enough for him to redirect himself into an open clearing and leap forward again, diving downward nimbly and pushing himself to somehow maybe catch her in time but…fuck she was just too far away!

Levi watched as Petra intentionally adjusted her position in the air, a determination evident in her wild green eyes, and she shot her lone wire into an adjacent tree – he realized that she was intending to break her fall. He found himself exhaling in relief, because the mere action of pulling her momentum _sideways_ instead of straight down might _just_ be enough to keep her alive yet, but still, her potentially life-saving decision would not be without consequences.

The wire rocketed her toward a tree about twenty feet off the ground, but as luck would have it, there were no branches she could clutch onto, assuming she even _had_ the mental awareness to grip onto any branches that would support her weight at this point. Her body slammed into the tree with a metallic zip and she turned to one side in anticipation of the impact, crying out from the force of the collision before limply falling to the ground with a sickening thud.

Levi wasn't far behind her now, reaching the forest floor a few seconds later. By the time his feet hit the ground he was already sprinting toward her, feeling his heart beating in his throat and drumming loudly in his ears as he raced toward her, still unable to move fast enough for his liking as his mind raced with questions.

She was laying on the forest floor in the exact position she had landed in; she wasn't moving.

_Why wasn't she moving?_

Her last-ditch effort to break the fall _should _have worked. _It had to. _It redirected her momentum and slowed her fall considerably to where it shouldn't have been a deadly impact with the ground, although…he wasn't certain of what injuries she had sustained before, _during_ the fall.

What if…?

He kneeled down to the ground and placed his hand over her shoulder, tempted to pull her into his arms, but resisting the urge considering he didn't know the full extent of her injuries. His eyes widened as he looked her over critically, noting at once some of her injuries and the sheen of bright crimson that was already seeping through her white uniform and matted hair.

From behind him, he could hear his squad hit the ground, shouting her name and running toward them as the 3DM gear and gas canisters clanked and bellowed from their hurried running, but Levi's attention remained on the silent, unresponsive woman in front of him, paying the rest of his squad no mind as he looked her over with wide eyes in all consuming worry.

"Petra…?" he asked softly, leaning toward her crumpled form and placing a hand near her mouth. She didn't give even the slightest response to the sound of his voice and a pang of fear made his stomach churn tightly, but it was then that he felt a light wave of air waft over his palm.

He closed his eyes in a thankful, silent prayer.

_She was alive._

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End of Chapter

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Alright yall, soo maybe this ending was the real reason this chapter didn't make a Christmas day appearance. Back in the day, the Christmas day extra chapter update would have fallen on a different chapter – any other chapter! – but as I made some adjustments, I think I added in a few chapters during the Levi out traveling sections, it made it so _this_ would have been the given chapter that was posted on Christmas morning and that just felt…quite _wrong._

_But_ due to that and an admitted lack of things to do in the office, it gave me time to write up a small little ditty (that I think most of you have already stumble upon haha) for the holiday season, and I've got to say it was nice to write something new and a little more light hearted when compared to *looks at above section and frowns* Well, you get it.

But, fear not, because I promised that there would be that extra update in lieu of the holidays, and I have every intention of making good on that. So for all those keeping track, I will be updating around this time on Wednesday morning, for both this piece, as well as posting the last half of my holiday piece, Under the Mistletoe.

It's been a awesome year and a privilege to have such awesome readers! Hope yall had a great holiday in return, and I'll see yall on Wednesday!

~Midnight


	40. The One after the Accident

Morning everyone!

It is officially the first day of the New Year, and presently I'm still regretting my decision to actually stay up and celebrate. It seems I'm just too old for these things now, because even after finally getting to bed and getting to sleep, ugh. I think Imma need an IV drip of caffeine just to get the day going.

None the less, I am happy to see yall an extra day this week, in honor of the holiday season – and it does somewhat work out well, as I know last chapter isn't the funnest one to have ended on. I don't do _a lot _of cliffhangers per say, but I do feel there is a time and place for them, and last chapter was most certainly it.

Either way, lets get to it so yall_ don't_ in fact, lose your hair :)

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…

When Petra came to, the first and only thing she could register was pain.

There was pain everywhere. It wasn't localized, it wasn't a specific spot – it was all but a state of being it seemed. She hadn't even opened her eyes yet and she felt her every muscle tense and coil in immediate response. She felt as though she were going to throw up, but that required more energy than she had and she knew the sourness in her stomach wouldn't be going away any time soon. She gave a groan and curled tightly into herself, hearing a muffled sound that slowly began to resonate until she could recognize it as a _voice _that was calling out to her.

"Petra are you-"

The sound went a little fuzzy again and Petra tightened her still closed eyes all the more, finding it was difficult to think outside the pain she was experiencing.

"-to answer me if-"

The noise was there again, and she felt a sort of jarring which only caused the fiery sensation to build and intensify within her. She felt a moan of pain exit her throat, more than she actually _heard_ it, and she opened her eyes slowly. It was hard to make things out; at first it was just bright blinding light, but then shadows and shades slowly returned, bits of color – and finally definition.

She was pressed against the ground she realized, and while she mentally was aware that she needed to get up off the ground, that required a great deal of strength that she didn't have. She settled for turning her head ever so slowly toward the repetitive noise that kept grabbing her attention instead.

It was Levi…at least, she _thought_ it was Levi anyway. It _looked_ like him, and yet, his eyes were wide and distressed; an expression across his face that reminded her nothing of the stoic Captain and controlled Captain she had seen over the years. She wasn't sure if she had _ever _seen him look so alarmed before, she mentally noted to herself in exhaustion. Her thoughts were sluggish and hindered from pain and it wasn't long before she lost focus and gave up trying to determine if it was Levi, or someone, or something else.

She exhaled and closed her eyes again as exhaustion blanketed her thickly, and once more the jarring sensation came over her, earning another groan as pain overwhelmed her as a result. With it however, a sort of clarity finally came over her and Petra blinked as she could not only hear, but actually _register_ what she was hearing. It wasn't noise or commotion; it was a _voice_.

She was being _spoken_ to.

"-need to stay awake. Can you hear me? _Petra_."

The voice, the person speaking to her, was Levi.

It took her a few moments to register what he was saying, and she gave a slow nod as a way of response, feeling her forehead rub into the dirt as she shook her head slowly. She had to focus past the pain, frustrated as she realized that each action took an exhausting amount of effort on her end. She had to intentionally focus on responding, each word difficult to think of and even more difficult to actually speak, "I…hear you, Captain."

She heard a sigh of clear relief, more than one in fact.

She opened her eyes fully and very slowly, moved one arm beneath her chest and carefully pushed herself off the ground to sit up slightly, feeling her arm tremble beneath her from the simple task of lifting herself into a sitting position. Her head was spinning and she blinked a few times as she sat upright, having to focus on her breathing as a sort of cloud still slowed her thoughts considerably.

Damn, she was dizzy.

She looked around in confusion, seeing Levi first, then her squad mates who were a few feet behind him, each wearing similar wide-eyed expressions. Why were they looking at her like that? She tried to recall what had happened – she knew, _some_ part of her, but it was all kind of hazy, and she looked around at a loss as to what got her here, splayed out on the ground like this. She looked up first, then down around her and noticed there were broken branches and pine needles, various leaves and scattered bits of displaced forest from where she was sitting.

"I fell…" she mumbled, half in realization and half in recollection.

From in front of her, Levi nodded once and she sighed sadly, "Oh…"

She winced and spoke through clenched teeth as a sharp pain ran up her spine, disappointed in herself for causing them all trouble like this, "I'm…sorry Captain."

He shook his head, a dark look falling across his face as he turned over his shoulder, "It's not _you _who should be sorry, Petra."

She followed his gaze to Oluo, who looked absolutely terrified. The Captain's voice was low as he addressed Oluo directly, "And I'll deal with _you_ in a minute."

Petra sighed and adjusted herself, confused by the Captain's obvious irritation with him. Oluo? What did _he_ do? At her internal question, memory slowly came back to her now that she was conscious again and she could eventually see it all in her mind - the formation, the clanging wires, the falling, the tree branches, and finally, that sound when she hit the ground – what had _that _been? It was like a cracking or…

Petra looked herself over, noting with wide eyes that her right foot was resting at an unnatural angle below her, limp against the ground in a manner it shouldn't _ever_ be. Seeing this and realizing what actually happened as a result of her long fall, a wave a nausea overcame her and she dry heaved as pain started to overwhelm her at once.

There were multiple people at her side in an instant, "Petra don't look, you'll only make it worse." Eld said quickly, his hands hovering out around her as though he wanted to help her but had no idea how or where to put his hands. Gunther was at her other side, a hand placed on her shoulder gingerly, "You gotta breathe through it Petra; you may have a concussion so you've got to stay awake until the doctor can look you over. Stay sharp, we'll get you taken care of in just a sec."

She gave a weak nod and closed her eyes tightly, but the damage was already done. Being aware of where the pain was localized, having actually _seen_ her grotesque and obviously broken ankle, the pain was exponentially worse and Petra clenched her teeth, hanging her head as an unwanted cry tore through her throat unwittingly.

Gunther grabbed her arm, "Listen Petra, you need to see the doctor. Eld and I can-"

Petra shook her head quickly as she spoke through tightly clenched eyes, "No, where's Levi, I want-"

From somewhere in front of her, she heard a grunt and it grabbed her attention. She opened her eyes in time to see Oluo falling backwards to the ground, a result of likely being kicked in the gut based off the Captain's extended leg. Before he fell too much further, Levi had grabbed his collar and hoisted him back up, his expression twisted into something ugly and feral as he looked down at him, not caring as his subordinate flinched beneath him in outright fear.

Levi's voice was loud and menacing, "Do you have _any _idea what could have happened? When I give orders, I expect you to fucking listen. Petra could be dead right now because of _you_!"

"Captain!" Eld called out firmly as he stood up from the ground with a snap, already moving toward the pair in a hurried fashion, "It was an_ accident_. The formation was new to everyone and mistakes are bound to happen." He placed his hand around the Captain's wrist, clamping down firmly and forcing Levi's grip to weaken from around Oluo's collar, "Let him go."

Levi's attention snapped up to Eld darkly, attempting to tighten his grip all the more but unable to as Eld continued to press on his wrist stubbornly, "But he-"

"Will be dealt with." Eld finished his sentence firmly, "Levi, I'm your second in command for a reason right? _Trust me_ to handle this. You are in no position to be addressing Oluo right now – you're_ not_ in control of yourself."

Levi looked back to Oluo menacingly, unable to respond to Eld's accusation because he knew full well that he was right. He was angry, _enraged_ even, but unlike Eld, he didn't see why that was a _problem_. That was to be expected, his reaction was _justified _even. The fact that Oluo hadn't even thought to look around, hadn't checked his surroundings, hadn't looked first before shooting off his 3DM gear – new formation or not, Oluo knew better, and what was worse, his mistake hadn't harmed _him_ – no, someone else paid for his negligence and Levi simply intended to even the pain ratio between the two.

An eye for an eye, so to speak, and when the person that had been harmed just so happened to be _his_ Petra, well, it made him see red faster than he had thought possible.

Eld tugged at the Captain's wrist again with a fierce shake, forcing him to look at him directly as he shouted, "Levi! Fucking snap out of it and listen to me! Petra needs to be seen by a doctor immediately. Are you seriously going to leave her on the ground in the terrible pain she's in, just so you can beat Oluo to a pulp and make _yourself_ feel better? Explain to me how two injured subordinates are better than one - what will that accomplish in the weeks to come, when only myself and Gunther can actually report for duty?"

Levi heard him, and some part in the back of his mind registered that Eld was right, that at the absolute least Petra came first - yet even so his arm was_ shaking_ from unresolved thoughts and Eld's unwanted restraint as he struggled to control his raging temper. He paused for a long moment before looking back toward Petra, frowning as he saw her hunched over form. Her body was also visibly shaking, but for a different reason entirely. She was bleeding and disoriented, and in that moment as she looked up and locked eyes with him – she watched him with a frightened sort of expression that made the air leave his lungs. Her gaze dropped to the ground as though she was too intimidated, too _scared_ to see what was going to happen next and Levi's mouth fell open as a sort of shame came over him in waves.

Eld's voice was suddenly quiet and he leaned closer to Levi as he spoke, also seeing the wordless interaction as well as the Captain's sudden hesitation. "Captain…you're _scaring_ her. Look, we already offered to take her to the medic ward but she…" Eld sighed, "You know she doesn't want me, doesn't want Gunther – it's _you _she wants. I'm not trying to meddle, but I'm telling you as a friend: You need to let this go and take care of your wife, she _needs_ you right now. _It has to be you_."

Levi gave a low sigh and looked down to the ground as he spoke, eyes narrowed as he forced control over his body and vengeful mind, his muscles so taut and coiled with the need to strike that it physically _pained_ him to remain still. "…You'll take care of it?"

Eld nodded, even though the Captain wasn't looking at him to see, "You have my word. You're not the only one who is upset by all of this. Go take care of Petra; I've got things covered here."

Levi ground his teeth together and opened his hand fully, one finger at a time, allowing Oluo to fall to the ground in a heap.

He didn't look at Oluo, knowing that he didn't have the control to see him and not want to retaliate just the same. He instead turned toward Petra, walking toward her quietly and frowning as he looked her over again, noting the blood and the dirt and the mess that she was. As bad as her ankle was, that wasn't even half of it. She was absolutely cut up from head to toe, small bleeding abrasions were all over her arms and legs where her uniform had been shredded and torn from the various scraping and impact, and most of her right side was bleeding heavily from where she slammed against the tree and slid to the ground some twenty feet.

He crouched down in front of her, trying to figure out the best way to get her off the ground without harming her further. Unfortunately, he knew full well that moving her at all would cause her immense pain – a certain degree of pain was unavoidable no matter how careful he was because fact of the matter was she was severely injured.

Petra returned his stare with wide eyes, unfallen tears making her eyes red and glassy. He exhaled through his nose and nodded toward Gunther, his voice a whisper, "Get the 3DM equipment off of her and take her blades away. Mine too if you will. I'll take her to the medic ward."

Gunther nodded and Levi grabbed Petra's shoulders carefully, holding her up and stabilizing her while Gunther unlatched the metal canisters from around her waist. As gentle as her teammate was being, the metal pushed her hips just right and she whimpered, rolling her head back and biting her lip in attempts to muffle her cries.

Levi waited for Gunther to finish and he stood up after him, taking off his own gear and handing everything to Gunther in silence. His subordinate grabbed the additional metal canisters from Levi, his hands rather full with all the components he was tasked to carry. Gunther cleared his throat as he grabbed the last gas tank off the ground, nodding toward Levi seriously, "Alright. Can you handle it from here or do you want me to come back and help you carry her?"

"I'll be fine. Thank you."

Gunther walked away without another word and Levi sighed, crouching back down to Petra and lightly squeezed her shoulders, just enough to grab her attention. She pulled her head back up and looked at him with questioning and fearful eyes, breathing heavily from the pain; a sheen layer of sweat glistening over her forehead.

His eyes softened at her frightened expression and he ran a finger lightly down the side of her face in a gentle caress, moving a piece of bloodied hair to the side. "I'm taking you to the medic ward now." He stated quietly, leaning close to her as he spoke so only Petra could hear his hushed words, "Brace yourself. I can't support your ankle so the weight of it hanging while we walk might be a little abrasive, to say the least. You'll just have to endure it."

Petra gave a weak nod, adjusting herself slightly across the ground in preparation. Levi gently placed an arm beneath the crook of her first leg, then gently grabbed her other leg and pulled it into his grasp, the small action earning a sharp hissing sound from Petra as the movement jarred her ankle slightly.

He placed his other arm around her back and grabbed her side, frowning to himself as he realized just how bloodied and cut up she really was. He had no idea how bad her cuts were – if they were actual cuts, or if it was more like raw skin that had been scraped off as she slammed against the rough bark and slid down some twenty feet – but he knew full well she was going to need a lot of stitches with the amount of blood he was feeling underneath her shirt. He exhaled and looked forward, his face a few inches from Petra's.

"You ready?"

She nodded once, her arms moving to his chest and grabbing onto the leather straps of his harness securely.

He leaned back into his heels slightly and tried to be as smooth in his movement as possible, pulling Petra off the ground and into his arms without much jarring movement, but the second her ankle moved from off the ground and hung limply in the air – a loud cry tore out of her and he could feel her hands tighten against his harness further in an immediate pained reaction.

Her eyes were wide at first and she released one hand, bringing it over her mouth in attempts to stifle her cries, a sort of whimpering still coming from her as he walked. She clenched her eyes shut, pants coming out of her mouth and she tried to keep breathing, wincing again as her ankle was consistently jarred with each step taken.

He sighed as he walked, feeling Petra trembling in his arms as though still trying to hold back her tears and appear brave. He was tempted to laugh, but the graveness of the situation sedated his initial amusement of watching his very injured subordinate,_ still_ trying to impress him - even at a time like this.

His voice was gentle, "Petra, it's okay to cry. You don't have to put on such a brave face in front of me – I already know how brave you are."

He wasn't sure if he had said something right or wrong, because a sort of squeak left her mouth and she turned her head into his chest, refusing to look at him or acknowledge that she had heard him at all. Even still, he could feel hot tears well into his shirt continuously, and part of him was suddenly tempted to start running so they could get there faster. He was fairly certain that Petra would be in even greater pain from the jarring and_ bouncing_ motion that running would bring, and he simply couldn't put her through that when she was already this miserable.

He continued walking cautiously toward the opposite end of the grounds where the medic ward was, reminding himself that they would be there soon enough, he just had to be patient and not let his nerves overwhelm his sense of logic.

As he walked, various Scouts saw him carrying a very bloodied and obviously wounded Petra, and they stopped dead in their tracks, looking in horror as he walked by. Some would just gape, others would walk with him for a few steps and ask if they could do anything – to which he responded that, yeah, they could get the fuck out of the way – before they scurried away in fear.

When he finally did get to the building, he kicked the door open wide enough so he could walk through with Petra still in his arms – his kicking action causing her to tense and cry out as she held onto him tighter still, her grip leaving actual indentions in the leather of his harness from her deeply embedded nails.

He walked to the desk and the receptionist's eyes widened at what she saw. She was instantly on her feet, "What the – what happened here?"

"Get the doctor right now." Levi stated firmly with unquestioned authority, "She needs immediate attention."

"Right." The receptionist came around the desk, waving her hands, "Follow me this way. I'll have you set her down in one of the rooms and while you're doing that, I'll grab him and tell him its urgent. You're Levi, right?"

"Yeah."

"Thought so. In here please, this will be her room for now." The young receptionist stated, walking into a small room and adjusting the bed in the middle of the room so it laid flat, "Set her down here if you will. Is she conscious?"

It was Petra who actually responded, still having her head buried into his chest. He could feel her hot breath through the fabric of his shirt as she spoke, her voice strained and tense, "I'm conscious."

The receptionist nodded, "Good. He's going to lay you down across the bed here, and I'll grab the doctor and a few nurses. It'll only be a few moments okay? You hang in there."

Levi watched the receptionist leave and took a few steps toward the medical bed. He set Petra down, first in more of a sitting position, and Petra slowly released her grip from him, her actions slow and purposeful as she exhaled, bringing a hand to her head as though she were dizzy, before finally placing her arms behind herself and pulling herself more fully onto the bed, trembling weakly as she lifted both her legs upward. Though she was clearly trying, she was weak and extremely uncoordinated, her movements slow and ineffective regardless her effort.

Levi was already at her side however, helping her adjust her body to lay out across the bed, him being the one to forcefully lengthen her legs and pull them out over the bed, grimacing in response as Petra's voice cracked in another pained cry as her ankle was moved to lay flat across the expanse of the bed.

"All done." Levi stated quietly as she was properly adjusted, and Petra gave a shallow nod before laying back against the bed fully, quiet tears still streaming down her face as she tried to somehow ignore the pain that was consuming all of her senses.

True to the receptionist's word, it was only a few moments later and the doctor came in – the same one that had treated Levi previously – as well as a few nurses.

"Well, I'd have to say you've certainly seen better days Mrs. Ackerman." The doctor stated as he came into the room and looked over her, shaking his head at her ankle that was obviously broken even with the concealment of her riding boot, "But not to worry. We'll get you patched up and feeling better in no time. If I may, what happened here Captain?"

The doctor began putting on a pair of gloves, the nurses bringing a tray of metal utensils toward him as he continued to get ready. Levi looked toward the older man and nodded once, "It was a training accident. Her wires clashed with someone else on my squad and she fell an estimated, I'd say, seventy feet as a result. Smacked a few branches on the way down, slammed hard against a tree and slid down to the forest floor; I'm assuming that's why her right side is so torn up like that. Somewhere in that she broke her ankle, and I'm certain she's got a concussion as well, due to the fact she was unconscious for a good minute or so before she came to."

While the pain limited her ability to respond, Petra was surprised to hear Levi's account of the event. She knew about the falling and the scraping and the _pain_ but…had she really been unconscious for that long? She supposed that certainly justified why her squad had been so worried before. She couldn't_ imagine_ the thoughts that would have been running through her head had_ Levi _been unresponsive for over a full minute.

The doctor raised his eyebrows and looked at Petra in surprise, "Seventy feet huh? That's quite an accident. I know you may not believe it right now, but you're lucky to be in _this _good of shape after a fall like that. Most people would have _died_."

Petra gave a weak nod, face still contorted and her breathing irregular.

The doctor looked her over, then looked toward the agitated Captain who was watching his wife with a critical stare that never left her for even a second – an action that spoke to the depths of his concern for her. The Doctor took a breath of preparation, "First things first. Captain, if you will-" he nodded toward Petra and the Captain nodded back in silent understanding, turning toward his wife and grabbing her shoulders, pressing her down into the mattress and locking his arms in preparation for what was to come.

Petra looked up toward Levi in alarm, his sudden and painfully tight grip worrying her, "Levi what's he-"

The Doctor wasted no time and pulled her riding boot off while a nurse cut the pant leg and harness off her from the knee down. He grabbed Petra's ankle, pulling it taught and making a face as the young girl's scream echoed across the walls of the small room in a gut-wrenching manner.

While it wasn't anything he couldn't handle, Levi was reminded that Petra was deceptively strong for someone of her small stature, her initial reaction almost being enough to lift her broken body clear off the table. He had held her upper body down well enough, but as Petra began kicking at the Doctor in a knee jerk reaction to the _extreme_ amount of pain she was going through, Levi knew he needed to intervene or the process would take even longer. He pressed her upper body down firmly with his forearm and leaned over her in attempts to hold her legs securely, using a combination of his body weight and free arm to hold her steady while the Doctor worked to set her bones back in place.

"It'll be just a moment, Mrs. Ackerman, try to stay as still as you can!" the Doctor grunted out, speaking above her loud cries as he tried to work as quickly as he could to end her suffering.

Petra's previous cries were somewhat stifled from Levi leaning over her firmly, and she tried to calm herself and work through the pain as the Doctor continued manipulating her ankle. She pushed her head back into the mattress in attempt to focus, her grip on Levi's arm tightening from the sheer agony she was being subjected to. A few moments of tense silence passed that was only marred by her heavy panting; the Doctor continued to pull her ankle this or that way, and Petra could only clench and unclench her grip around the Captain's arm while she tried to keep quiet and not thrash around too much.

Try as she may, she was becoming certain that it was just too much. Her vision was getting spotty, she could hardly breathe, she wanted to swallow but her throat was so tight and – she was going to pass out. She wanted to tap Levi's arm, alert him to the fact that she was mentally losing the battle, but as her thoughts got more and more unsorted she realized she wasn't even sure _how_ to get his attention anymore.

"Got it." The Doctor stated finally, and while Petra was expecting a sort of relief to wash over her, hoping that the violent waves of pain would cease now that the Doctor wasn't tilting her broken ankle every which way, she felt a sort of despair as the violent and fiery pain didn't let up in the slightest like she had been expecting.

She gave a whimper in realization that the pain wouldn't be letting up and clenched her hands even tighter around Levi's arm in frustration, biting her inner lip until she tasted blood. Her entire body was aching, her stomach was churning, her head was pounding so hard she was certain her skull would crack; she wasn't even _moving_ and even still she was _extremely _dizzy. Petra cleared her throat and tried to speak, but her voice cracked and she almost choked on her words as her senses began to dull and fade in and out all over again, "I think I'm gonna…throw up."

Her eyes were still clamped shut, but she could hear Levi's voice very near to her, "They're putting a brace over your leg and preparing a cast for you. The worst part is over now, you're doing well."

Petra gave another whimper as she nodded, pleased initially to hear Levi's encouragement, although it only lasted for a moment as pain continued to overwhelm her thoughts and lessen the impact of his words. She exhaled in a sort of exhausted, broken manner as the medical staff began to secure the cast around her leg, and Petra wondered how much more she could take before her sanity snapped. She had been trying to mentally stay on top of it all, but she knew she was reaching the edge of her limits.

The pain was unbearable.

As if sensing this, the Doctor looked up and addressed her directly, "We're almost done Mrs. Ackerman. Once the cast is set, we will get you some pain medicine and that will make you feel a lot better, very fast. We've just got to get this taken care of first and then it will all become nothing more than a bad memory."

She nodded again and continued holding onto Levi's arm for support as she could feel the heavy sort of material pressed against her calf and a steady motion that caused the material to compress around her leg – the cast she realized internally, though her thoughts were consistently muddied and unclear as exhaustion and over stimulation continued to bite at her weary and overloaded senses.

Time seemed to pass by impossibly slow for Petra as they continued to wind and secure the cast around her, but finally the Doctor gave an exhale, "Alright, and we are done with that. Alyssa, go ahead and inject her directly please, forty CC's should do the trick." The sound of the Doctor's voice was moving and soon his voice was much closer to her; Petra assumed he had walked around the table to address her directly, "The nurse has the pain medicine, and the injection will also contain a high dose of muscle relaxant. We'll give it a few minutes to kick in, prepare some supplies for stitches, and we'll have you cleaned up and ready to go in no time."

There was a large hand on her shoulder, one that felt different from Levi, and she was tempted to look up toward the Doctor that had assisted her, but couldn't find the ability and remained in place with her eyes shut tightly, "You did great by the way. Not many people can stay conscious through something like that – you're one tough Scout to be sure Mrs. Ackerman."

As the doctor spoke, Petra could feel her arm extended and a sort of pinch in her skin, though it hardly even phased her due to the level of pain she was already experiencing. There were a number of footsteps, and finally the room went silent.

As they left the room and a sort of silence began to extend, Petra realized that – she wasn't sure _when_ it had happened now that she thought about it – but Levi's previous hold across her body had completely disappeared. The only thing left that was proof he was still there at all was his forearm that was placed across the base of her chest; although there was no pressure behind it now, his arm was simply resting there. Petra suspected that the only reason it was still there at all was because she was currently holding onto him tightly, even now.

She slowly opened her eyes, biting her lip in a grimace as she squinted at the light before blinking fully and looking at the arm she was still clutching onto. While there were various specs of blood…well, _everywhere_ from the close contact they had had across the fabric of his shirt, Petra noticed in an instant that there were small patches of blood placed _exactly_ where each of her nails were pressed against his arm – she knew it was far too precise to just be chance.

That wasn't her blood she was seeing, it was _his_.

"Oh shit, Levi – I'm so sorry!" Petra stated in alarm. The shock of realizing that she had actually _drawn_ blood with her tight grip was unknowingly distracting her from the pain, a mix of surprise and guilt overwhelming her instead as she looked up toward him in horror.

She pulled her hands away in an instant, eyes locking with the Captain's as he stared down at her with a strange sort of expression. He was somewhat leaning over her to accommodate her prior hold on his arm, and he gave a shrug as he stood up fully, setting his now free hand down on the bed near her shoulder.

"It's fine. Don't worry about it."

Regardless his nonchalant attitude, Petra's eyes trailed up his arm where there were numerous bloodied crescent moons that littered the expanse of his sleeve. Levi followed her gaze, sighing as Petra's eyes began to turn red and glassy as she continued to stare at his arm with wide eyes, hesitant to just let it go apparently. He leaned down back toward her, trying to catch her attention as he attempted to convey sincerity into his words, "Petra - It's. _Fine_. They're just scratches that will heal over in a few days; you really should be more concerned for _yourself_. Is the pain medicine kicking in yet?"

Petra felt tears pricking her eyes, a dull ache throbbing in the back of her eyes as she tried to fight off the sensation. She wasn't sure if it was the pain, or if it was the guilt that was causing her eyes to well up, but she felt her lip tremble and she turned her head away so she didn't have to look at him directly. She attempted to consider his question, noting that while she _was_ still in a great deal of pain, it wasn't all consuming any more. She could think more clearly, her stomach wasn't in so many knots, her breathing was only slightly labored – she adjusted herself across the bed and gave a halfhearted, miserable nod - still mulling over the fact that she had actually _harmed _her Captain. Pain or not, she should have had better control of herself. She should have realized that she was digging into his skin and-

She heard a heavy sigh, "Petra._ Look_ at me."

Hearing his words, the soft tone he was speaking with, Petra slowly turned her head back toward the Captain, frowning all the more as she caught another glimpse of his arm, a tear rolling down her cheek as she tried to muster up the courage to face him. While some part of her knew it wasn't that big of a deal, it just didn't seem to register like it should have. Even if he would heal, even if they _were_ just small little scratches, she felt _terrible_.

Levi sighed at her obvious internal struggle and crouched down even further so he was eye level with her. A half chuckle left his throat as he watched another tear slip down her face. He found himself reaching toward her, running his fingers down the side of her face lightly and wiping her tears away with a sweep of his thumb.

"Gods woman…" he whispered, shaking his head as he watched her cry, a guilty expression still marring her features as she returned his stare with large, remorseful eyes. A more pronounced cry left her that caused her shoulders to heave and her face to contort even further from her escalating tears, and he watched her evenly, "Now let me get this straight - your wires get snagged with Oluo's, you fall through the air, you_ intentionally _shoot off the one wire you have, knowing that without the other to counter balance it, it's going to hurt like a bitch when you get rocketed to the one side, you slide down a tree, break your ankle, half your body is rubbed raw – and yet you sit here, crying for_ me…_because of a few scratches?"

She gave another muffled whimper and nodded her head miserably, not at all seeing the point he was trying to make, and Levi gave a sort of laugh as a sincere smile pulled at his lips. He watched her in a sort of wonder, knowing that_ only_ Petra would get stuck on such a small detail to the point of actual tears. _Of course_ she would be more worried for him than she was for herself, she had always been like that, yet even still…

He looked to the ground and mumbled, speaking more to himself as a sort of warmness washed over him, "You know, you're really…" he paused as though trying to find the right words and exhaled in defeat, a true smile pulling at his lips. "…Something else."

When he looked back up at her, there was that same strange look in his eye and Levi's smile only grew brighter as he watched her for a prolonged moment, finally reaching back toward her and mussing her hair with a playful sort of nudge.

It was as Petra watched the Captain, surprised by his sincere, gentle smile that her tears stopped and she returned a sort of shy smile of her own, still feeling his lingering touch on her cheek as she absentmindedly smoothed her bloody and matted hair. The fact that _he_ had been the one to be there with her through it all; he hadn't gotten angry or frustrated with her or blamed her for the misfortunate event – as she replayed things over in her mind, how he had carried her in his arms, how gentle his touch was at times, yet how stern and strong he was at others - there was a sudden spark of amusement in Levi's gaze, and he nodded toward Petra with a knowing, smug grin, "And _there_ it is."

Her eyes widened as his statement distracted her from her thoughts and she gave him a confused look, silently asking a sort of 'there _what_ is?' after his non descriptive announcement. Levi smirked and leaned even closer toward her, close enough that his nose was actually brushing against her ear. He heard her take a sharp, surprised inhale from his sudden proximity, though she didn't pull away from him, instead falling perfectly still in a mix of shock and curiosity. He lingered for just a moment and whispered in her ear gently, "_You're blushing_."

Well,_ that_ certainly did it.

Petra instantly pulled her head away from him in a self-conscious huff, her afore mentioned blush growing an even deeper shade of red after being called out so directly. Her mouth was open and she stammered for a few seconds as she tried to formulate a response. Her mind was instantly running a mile a minute, because _of course_ she was blushing! Levi had been watching her with this look in his eye that made her stomach churn and her mouth feel suddenly dry - not to mention he had already been so close before, but after that he had come right up against her, his hot breath in her ear, his lips against her skin, his voice smooth and low as he spoke – how could that _not_ get a rise out of her?

Realizing that she was_ still_ the subject of a certain Captain's amused stare, she coughed as Levi continued to watch her smugly. Petra still fought to find her words, which only added to her extreme embarrassment all the more. More than anything, she just couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that… "Are you…are you _seriously_ teasing me right now, Captain? Now, of all times?"

Levi was still leaning toward her, not that far away from her face considering there was only so much room Petra could work with in her attempts to distance herself from him. He shrugged in amusement and watched her with a sort of feigned innocence. He quirked an eyebrow and tilted his head just slightly, "Of course. You're an easy target."

Petra rolled her eyes at his expression and scoffed, returning his stare with what Levi could only assume was supposed to be a reproving sort of glare, though with her red face and pouty lips, he could only laugh all the more before deciding to leave it be. He gave a final chuckle and stood up fully off the bed, though his smirk never fully left his lips.

They continued to watch each other in silence as a sort of amused stalemate fell over the pair, both taking comfort in the other's presence and unaware that they were simultaneously calming each other, now that the worst was finally over.

…

* * *

End of Chapter

* * *

…

And that will do for this chapter as well. Yall feel better? Hopefully you do. This is a good chapter, and man, there is SO much happening in here that – okay side note, but perhaps its unique to me as an author, but let me just say that I don't always know ALL the answers and each little detail of my characters and plot. Sometimes as I'm writing, a chapter goes a completely different direction and I have to decide if it's because I'm not staying focused, or if it's because while writing and trying to keep everyone in character, it would play out differently than the way I first envisioned it in my mind.

So all that to say, I mentally question here if Petra and Levi are both aware of how much they have changed over the past few months (I don't know!) – in a moment like this where things are a bit hectic and they are too busy to try and be a 'good husband' or a 'good wife' – they are just being each other but with all their changing interactions, their sheer_ default_ to how they relate to each other where they don't have the time to put their best foot forward and play the married couple game - In the hecticness of all that's going on around them, are they even AWARE that without even _trying_ any more, they seem to all but hover around each other and function as a true, singular unit?

I don't know, but it's something I like to think about. I enjoyed seeing Levi's fierceness at the start of this chapter, Eld being Eld in a good way and showing everyone exactly why he's Levi's right hand man, and then just everything after that and their calm through the storm type relationship because they trust each other – I'll stop. I could write a novel off my thoughts on this chapter alone, and I doubt yall want that.

So. I'll wrap it up and say yall are the best, and I look forward to continue writing for yall in the year to come :)

~Midnight


	41. The One Where Petra is Shy

Good morning everyone, and what a GREAT morning it is.

So aside from the fact that I have made a lot of updates over the past few days, things go back to normal and I'll be sticking true to the Sunday updates as usual. But. Getting to upload so much material – at least so much for me anyhow – was a nice change of pace and I'm glad that as always, yall showed up to support. Made me smile!

What's more, for mah boys in Red, wow it has been a CRAZY last few weeks regarding the NFL and through a great string of events, the Chiefs aren't playing this week of the playoffs because we got the second seed for our division. Very good thing, because that really increases a team's odds for going to the Superbowl. What was even better than that? Watching the Titans upset the Patriots last night and get kicked out of the running – yes. So much yes.

And more good news? I found four authentic sinistea pokemon, and a shiny shiinotic in my quest for a shiny sinistea, and after only three hours of grinding, I'd say those are some serious results. 2020 is starting out to be an amazing year yall.

…

* * *

…

"How are we feeling now Mrs. Ackerman?" the Doctor and his entourage finally returned.

"Better." Petra confirmed as she looked toward him, "Still in pain, but it's tolerable. My head's kinda…fuzzy." She admitted in a sort of frown, watching as the staff moved around the room in preparation.

The doctor nodded and watched her sternly, "Yes, that is a bit of a side effect that you may find gets worse over the next few hours, but it comes with the territory. Now I want to remind you outright that just because you aren't _feeling_ the pain doesn't mean it's not there. I've found that pain medicine is a drug that tends to give people a rather audacious sense of false confidence, so don't make the mistake of thinking you're fine and go about your day like normal because you_ are _in fact quite injured and need to rest properly. Straining yourself will only prolong your recovery and could have lifelong impacts, so don't you dare push it."

She could only nod in return at his stern warning, and he continued a bit more lightly, "Alright, well now that your leg is taken care of, let's patch your side up and get you on your way."

The small team moved around her, and she felt a line of cold metal at one of her wrists, the sensation grabbing her attention as she tried to focus her mind on what was happening around her. The nurse began cutting the sleeves off her arm with a pair of metal scissors, and she caught Petra's wide eyed stare and explained, "With so many injuries, we'd rather just take this approach then risk injuring you further with the buttons and moving you around as you may have other injuries we can't immediately see."

"No that's fine, I understand it's just…" Petra was suddenly blushing immensely as she responded, which surprised Levi to some extent. Considering that she had no qualms about being seen by complete strangers in nothing more than an impossibly small pair of shorts and simple sports bra, he wouldn't have guessed that she would be so outright shy regarding the medical staff. It wasn't until her worried stare connected with his and her blush deepened _exponentially_, that he realized it wasn't the medical staff at all – it was him. It was the fact that _he_ was there, watching as they cut the bloodied fabric from off around her.

His eyes narrowed as her stare lingered on him all the more, and begrudgingly, with a loud sigh, he turned his back toward her; away from her and the medical team, resting back against the frame of the hospital bed with an aggravated scowl. There was a giggle that came from the nurse that had watched this wordless interaction, apparently finding Petra's reservations to be a source of outright entertainment.

"Oh, don't worry Captain Levi," she laughed, which only soured his mood all the more, "Believe it or not but this is actually very common for married couples! Regardless any previous comfort or intimacies they share, people tend to get really self-conscious about their bodies after being injured, women especially. Give it time and I'm sure things will go right back to normal; you'll see."

Levi rolled his eyes, finding the well-intended nurse had no damn clue what she was talking about, because while yes they were married, they were certainly not your run of the mill couple and there was no 'normal' they would 'get back to' in terms of intimacy, because to date he had never seen Petra in any compromised state of dress. If he were being honest, he had _assumed_ that seeing her exposed considerably, if not completely naked, would be_ unavoidable_ due to the nature of her injuries and the work the medical staff would need to see to, but considering the fact that he was _both _her Captain_ and_ her husband, he didn't see that to be a problem. Petra knew he was a professional, same as her, and had seen more than his fair share of skin and injuries and everything else in between – but it was just that Petra was seemingly so taken back by the mere notion of him seeing her like that, so her haunted, begging look made him reconsider. He was certain now that just standing and watching as they undressed her would make him feel like some sort of _creep _because she was so obviously mortified with just a single_ sleeve _gone, let alone being seen in even less.

As he stood now, with his back to her where he could see absolutely nothing that was happening behind him, he found he was thoroughly frustrated. He _wanted_ to see her – but not like _that_ or because of some desperate, perverse reason. He wanted to see her _injuries_ for himself – to know the extent of the harm that had come to her and to know what they would be up against in terms of future rehabilitation and immediate care. He knew instinctively that he would be the one caring for her - even if she didn't want his help, she really didn't have a choice in the matter because he…perhaps some part of him needed to be there to make sure that she was healing, to watch her body repair itself and to know that things were on the mend and that no permanent damage had been done to her.

Some part of him felt _responsible_ for the accident. Perhaps he should have known from the start that the formation was a bust. If not that, then he should have been able to find a way to get to her faster, he should have protected her but…he hadn't, and here they were. He figured that the least he could do now was to see to her recovery – something that would be infinitely more difficult if he couldn't even fucking_ see _her injuries to start with!

"There's a lot of blood here," the doctor commented from behind him, "Alyssa, go ahead and work on cleaning the right side up from all the bark and splinters. She'll keep bleeding like this until we get the stitches in place, so put some gauze on her side to keep that blood loss to a minimum."

"Yes, sir."

There were some footsteps heard, "Any tenderness here?" the doctor asked from somewhere behind him, and Petra responded with a light, "No."

"Alright good, here?"

"Uh, maybe a little."

"Alright and he-"

There was a sharp hiss that came from Petra, followed by a sort of whimper, and while Levi's curiosity was perked and he had to fight his initial response of turning around, he hesitantly remained facing ahead toward the empty expanse of the room, clueless as to what was going on behind him and frustrated all the more.

The doctor spoke after a slight pause, "Hm, the tenderness suggests an injury, and there_ is _some rather prominent bruising. If I place my fingers right_ here_, on a scale of one to-"

There was a loud and pained gasp that came from Petra, and _again _Levi had to fight his immediate response to turn around and see_ what _the hell the man was doing that was causing her even further pain. Had he missed something? There was her side, her head, her ankle, but to his immediate knowledge there weren't any further injuries that would cause such a response. Fuck, he wished he could see what was going on. What the hell was happening back there?

"Hm," The Doctor said as Petra panted loudly, "The bruising is consistent with previous cases I've seen before, so I'm going to have to say you broke a rib here as well. Based off my experience, it's just the one rib, and luckily for you, it's low enough in your rib cage that you won't have to worry about a punctured lung if you move the wrong way." The doctor gave a small chuckle, "I must say, you certainly know how to go all out when you have an accident, don't you? Missing half your side, broken ankle, broken rib, concussion, various abrasions, soft tissue damage – the works!"

Petra didn't respond, and the nurse spoke from the other end of the bed, "I'm all cleaned up on this end. The gauze is already starting to bleed through, so we'll need to either be diligent about keeping it changed out, or get to stitching it closed quickly."

"Thank you, Alyssa. Go ahead and clean up the other cuts on her arms, then set to work on the gash on her head. Her hair is getting pretty saturated so I can only assume she'll need a few stitches there as well."

"Yes, sir."

There was a silence that fell over the room as the medical team worked in a controlled chaos of reporting the various injuries they found, gauze here, will need stitches there - and after what seemed like forever, they had finally cleaned her injuries sufficiently that they were able to move to the next step.

"So we're all set?" the doctor asked, breaking the previous thick silence, and finally a nurse responded.

"We're all ready and prepped for stitches, sir."

"Alright if you will, let's get a few anesthetics for the larger skin abrasions prepared – Alyssa if you can administer those shots please? And while that's happening, let's get a sheet here for Mrs. Ackerman; make her a little more comfortable now that she's cleaned up a bit." The direction of the Doctor's voice changed and Levi could tell _he_ was being addressed directly, "I can't help but assume we have a very anxious Captain that wants to know the wellbeing of his wife."

"Right away, sir."

Though Levi hadn't said or done anything further that would have given his irritation away, it seemed the Doctor wasn't fooled by his silence in the slightest, and Levi found that he was both grateful and relieved that the Doctor was so adept because the not knowing was driving him mad.

As the nurse hovered around her, injecting her body at the various sites where she would be needing stitches, Petra's voice broke through the silence and based off the trajectory of her voice, it was likely that she had turned toward him directly as well. "I didn't think of that. I'm sorry Captain, I don't mean to…"

"It's fine. It's okay if you're self-conscious right now." He stated simply, and considering the Doctor was suddenly busying himself at the opposite end of the room where Levi could actually see him for once, Levi could tell he was intentionally trying to at least_ look_ busy in attempts to give them even the smallest sense of privacy.

He sighed as he stared ahead, pensive as he tried to explain his thoughts to her and trying his damndest to remain patient, even though he sure as hell didn't feel an ounce of patience left within him, "I suppose this is as good a time to say this as any, but I hope you know that I would never take advantage of a situation like this. That's not…that's not what I'm after here Petra, and I would hope that you already know that."

"Well of course, you've already proven that, more than once in fact." She whispered quietly, "See it's not so much that, it's just…"

She groaned weakly as she tried to organize her thoughts, finding that while her overall pain level had greatly reduced, she was now just starting to feel_ exhausted. _What was more, her thoughts were starting to run away with her and it was hard to keep focused on any particular line of thought. Her head continued to get more and more…fuzzy…was the only word she could think of to describe it, though she tried to remain vigilant and respond true to how she felt about it.

She frowned and looked toward him, even though he wouldn't be able to see her worried expression as she spoke through a sigh, "Levi, you're always so _perfect_. You're so good at_ everything_ and the fact that I'm in this condition from stupid _training," _she sighed and looked toward the ceiling as she continued, an undeniable sadness to her voice, "It's _embarrassing_ to me. I train so hard and then_ this _happens and…I don't want to be seen by anyone while wearing a cast, don't want to be seen as weak or broken, but especially not by _you_ of all people_. _I want to be seen as strong and competent and skilled and-_"_

He blinked in utter confusion, turning his head back over his shoulder where his voice would be more clear, but not enough where he could actually see her, "Petra, the fuck are you even talking about right now? You realize that if it weren't for how strong, _and_ competent,_ and_ skilled you are, we'd be loading your fucking _corpse_ into a body bag this very minute?" He paused as irritation continued to come over him, because her inability to see the _obvious_ was a marvel to him, "Fucking hell, woman. I don't know what else I can do to get it through your thick skull that the _only one_ who thinks that you're weak is _you_. Half the damn Regiment is more afraid of_ you _now than they are of me."

Before Petra could respond, there was a musical "Here we are!" from the nurse, who shot Levi a smile as she walked back into the room carrying a baby blue sheet. She stood beside him for a moment and spoke as she worked to splay the sheet out around Petra carefully. "There we go. Little bit more privacy for our more _conservative_ patients." She gave a giggle and Petra gave a quiet 'thank you'.

There was a familiar hand on his shoulder, and he finally looked back toward her hand with a quirked eyebrow.

"Can I actually turn around again?"

"Yeah."

He wasted no time and redirected himself then and there, and while he was grateful that he wasn't staring aimlessly into the hallway, he supposed looking at her bloodied head and a large blue sheet that covered the rest of her…wasn't all that much better. Even though the sheet had just been placed on her, it didn't escape his notice her right side was already bleeding through the fabric, and when the Doctor caught Levi's concerned and alarmed gaze, he nodded.

"Captain," the Doctor motioned with a curl of his fingers, and Levi moved around the table to stand beside him. The man placed his hand just at her side, right beneath the swell of her bustline to ensure that the sheet didn't get raised unnecessarily high, and pulled the sheet up to reveal her injuries, "In terms of damage to her skin, this here is the worst of it."

Levi gave a nod, frowning at once as the sheet was lifted to reveal a gruesome series of abrasions and torn skin. Like the doctor stated, a majority of her skin was just rubbed off, severed heavily, and bleeding profusely even now. The doctor spoke as Levi continued to survey the damage in solemn silence, "We'll stitch the skin together here and here, which will take a while due to the limited tissues that are left. We should have enough to not need to rely on skin grafts though, but you'll need to be diligent about keeping the wound clean because an infection from an injury with this much surface area could be…devastating."

He walked around the table again, Levi in tow, and nodded simply toward Petra's head, "You can see the gash there now that we've got her hair separated from the injury. There's a lot of blood, but headwounds bleed a lot; just a few stitches is all she'll need there." He paused at her other side, again placing his hand across her torso strategically as he revealed her opposite side, "And around here, where the bruising and swelling is, right about here," the doctor motioned with a pointed finger, looking at Levi as he explained, "Is where her broken rib is. We'll have to treat that last by wrapping her chest tightly so that it_ forces_ the rib to remain and heal in place."

Again Levi nodded, more than grateful that the Doctor had found a way to show him her more prominent injuries that didn't leave Petra feeling so exposed and vulnerable – in a way that made her feel so outright uncomfortable. The man sighed and gave the Captain a single nod, "We'll get to stitching her up in just a second, then when we go over the paperwork, you and I can talk about care in the days to come as well, and how long I'll be putting her out on leave."

Petra's voice rang out, "Wait, on leave?"

Both Levi and the Doctor looked toward her with wide eyes, and the older man was laughing, "Wow you _are_ a tough one, aren't you? Well Mrs. Ackerman, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but yes – I will in fact be putting you on a medical leave of absence for a _minimum _of six weeks. Potentially longer if your bones try to heal out of alignment. We'll decide that sort of thing later, based on how your follow up appointments go."

Petra almost sat up from her bed in alarm, though as her skin pulled and her ribs ached from the motion, she relaxed at once, hissing from the pain she had caused herself as she laid back against the hospital bed. She took a sobering breath and looked back toward the two men in agitation once the pain subsided, "You're trying to tell me that I'll be off duty for six _weeks_?"

"Longer." Levi stated flatly, his expression gravely serious and communicating wordlessly that it was not up for discussion when Petra's mouth fell open in outright dismay, "You may be on _medical _leave for six weeks, but once that is completed I myself will be putting you on leave for the purpose of _rehabilitation. _I don't know how long that might take mind you, but you'll need time to rebuild your strength and I won't be able to pair you back with the squad just because your cast is off. I'll work with you myself to ensure that you are ready, but that will take _time_ and I won't hear a word of your complaints along the way, is that understood? I want an affirmative answer, Petra."

Petra gave a tense sigh, trying to compose her suddenly frustrated and agitated self, and gave a single disappointed nod, mumbling a dejected 'Yes, Captain.' and falling silent again.

The doctor had watched this interaction with a quiet smile, saying nothing more on the matter and turning his attention toward his medical team, "Alright everyone, if we're all set then let's get to our stations and get focused."

…

* * *

…

It had taken over an hour of constant, intensive work for the medical staff to stitch Petra back together – literally – but finally, the doctor cut the last and final thread with a metallic snip of the scissors and stood up fully with a smile.

He gave Petra a grin and nodded, "And that takes care of that. I'll have Alyssa wrap you up nice and tight so we can get that rib well on its way to healing, but that's it! While she's doing that, Captain, I've got those release forms I'll need you to fill out as well as forms to sign for her leave, so if you'll come with me, please?"

Levi said nothing but followed after the man quietly, and one of the nurses came to Petra's side, offering her a hand to carefully pull her from off the bed and into a seated position, "Alright now, carefully gonna move you up here," she explained as she guided Petra's movement upward and Petra blinked at the strange sensation, struggling to understand what was being said to her. "For the next few days at least, you'll need to move very slowly while your skin adjusts to the stitches and starts to heal up on its own. We don't want your stitches to break nor your skin to tear, so take it easy, okay?"

Petra gave a nod, more for politeness sake than actual understanding, bringing a hand to her head and mumbling through a groan, "Ugh, my_ head_. I'm so dizzy. It's like my brain has slowed down or something because it's hard to focus or think clearly. I feel weird. Is this normal?"

The nurse nodded, "Yeah, that tends to happen to our patients that are suffering from a concussion, and like the Doctor said, strong pain medicine tends to come with those side effects as well. I can't imagine how you feel, having both impact you at the same time." She moved across the room as she spoke, "Not to worry though - the doctor will put all the aftercare instructions in your release papers that he's reviewing with your husband, along with your prescriptions by the way, but in short for your concussion, get a lot of rest, drink a lot of fluids, avoid any strenuous exercise and you'll be fine. If you develop any light sensitivities or experience migraines in the next seventy-two hours, let us know."

Petra nodded again at her words, and the nurse moved toward one of the desks, grabbing a large roll of white fabric bandages and returning toward her side dutifully, "Alright, now pay attention because this is how you'll need to wrap your chest for the next three weeks - and you'll need to do it _right_ or your rib may not set properly."

The nurse demonstrated the proper technique, explaining what she was doing and why as she wrapped the thin fabric around her securely, starting from below the dip of her ribs, all the way up to just underneath her shoulders. She explained techniques of how to know that she was wrapping it tight enough to keep the bone locked in place, but not so tight as to cause discomfort or shortness of breath, and finally, she wrapped the fabric in a sort of knot and smiled toward her, "And that's how it's done."

As the nurse was finishing up, a knock was heard on the door, and Levi's voice came through the door, "It's me. Can I come in, or you not done in there?"

Petra looked up toward the door, "It's fine, Captain."

While it _was_ a little unnerving to know that she was essentially wearing nothing more than glorified chest bindings that felt as thin and sheer as paper mache, she supposed that her sports bra concealed even less (at least, that's what she told herself, even though it certainly wasn't true) and she tried not to think too much about it when Levi came into the room. She knew full well that as he gave her a simple head nod, he was making a point of being _intentionally_ casual, although to his credit - it did set her a little more at ease as he came to stand beside her without a prolonged glance or a surprised stall in step.

He held up a manila folder, "I've got all your discharge paperwork right here. As soon as you're ready, Doctor says we can go."

Petra nodded and looked herself over, still feeling the room sway with every little move she made, and eventually frowning when she thought about being seen by the entire regiment in such a state. The Captain – one single man that she happened to trust immensely – was one thing, but the entire regiment was another. Due to the injuries being mainly sustained on just her _torso_, they had neglected to cut off her pants, save for just the one leg from the knee down, so she _supposed_ it wouldn't be that big of a deal, and yet…

She cleared her throat and looked toward the nurse still in the room, "Hey uh, Ms. Alyssa was it? By chance do you all have spare uniforms or something? I know it could be worse, but I don't want to be paraded around the campus like this. It's a little, uh…lacking. And…_sheer_."

Petra had whispered the last word, as though it were some great secret, and the nurse nodded and gave a laugh of her own, "Yeah, I could see where walking around like that might raise a few eyebrows or gain some unwanted attention." She paused and seemed to think the request over, "I know we don't have full on uniforms but if you give me a second I can check for-"

"No need," Levi's voice grabbed both women's attention and he was already unbuttoning his white dress shirt, agreeing outright that he did not want Petra to be seen by others in her current state of dress. Even if she_ had_ been okay with it, he sure as hell_ wasn't_. The wrapping clung to her breasts, was thin and sheer and so tight to her skin that had he taken a longer glance earlier, he knew full well there would be little he _couldn't_ see – so the mere _thought_ of other men looking at her so exposed and vulnerable, _seeing _her body in ways they had no right to, made him _more_ than happy to provide her with some much needed coverage.

His voice was low and even, betraying none of his thoughts, "You can use mine."

When Petra merely stared at him with wide eyes as he worked on his shirt, one button at a time, Levi's eyes narrowed at her suddenly flustered gaze as she blinked a few times as though outright confused, "What? Not enough for you? Wait, don't tell me you need the whole damned _sheet _again. Since when have you been such a prude?"

Petra shook her head and felt a heat rising to her face, "No, no that's fine, it's just-"

She watched as he pulled the fabric upward, untucking the shirt from beneath his pant line, his muscles flexing and pulling taut across his arms and back as he pulled his arms out of the sleeves, freeing himself from the fabric completely. Petra took a long breath as she tried to not allow her mind to wander from having _watched_ such a thing, irritated that a mere moment ago she couldn't focus on anything, but now all of the sudden, she couldn't _stop _focusing on his bare chest. What the hell was wrong with her? She forced herself to look across the room before he caught her stare, praying that somehow Levi would _not _notice her intense blush.

She mentally groaned as her mind traitorously replayed the image through her mind - Why _now_ of all times?

She had seen Levi shirtless perhaps more times than she could count in her life and it never bothered her, never really distracted her or made her mind start racing with less than wholesome thoughts – but perhaps, she supposed it was only natural, considering she was starting to know him in ways she hadn't before, considering she had felt the weight of his body pressed against her, considering she had run her hands over his chest, clothed granted, but even still she could still remember what it had felt like to intentionally touch him in ways that didn't relate to training or their roles within the military…

She blinked as her thoughts, which were normally so innocent and contained, ran away with her all the more.

Considering she had just _watched_ him remove his shirt, one damned button at a time before slowly pulling it off his chest – again she allowed a groan to build within the safety of her mind, and she rubbed her temples in aggravation, because if this was how it was going to be, she was in big, big trouble with a capital T.

"Oi, you gonna put this on, or just keep staring into space like that?"

Petra looked back toward him with narrowed eyes, the blush on her face actually _intensifying_ the effect of the irritated glare she shot him, and Levi waved a hand in sudden frustration because her glare was rather intimidating as he mistook her expression for actual anger. He exhaled defensively, "The fuck did_ I_ do? Look, fine. Fine. If you want a sheet that bad then you'll just have to ask her because-"

Petra rolled her eyes, pleased that Levi didn't seem to catch onto the fact that she was actually _extremely_ distracted by his current state of dress, while at the same time, mortified that she was in fact…extremely distracted by his current state of dress. She snatched the fabric out of his hands curtly, "I don't need the damn sheet, Captain, but thanks," she somewhat waved the material at him, "For this I mean. For the shirt. Thank you."

Petra began to splay the shirt out around her in preparation, and as she pulled the fabric over one of her arms while trying to twist so she could pull the other arm through, she winced as the action stretched her skin taut and a whimper left her lips as she paused midmotion from the pain and burning sensation that ran over her side.

"Petra," the nurse chastised lightly, "That's what I'm talking about. The simplest day to day actions, even something like putting on a shirt, can cause the stitches to rupture so you've _got_ to be more careful. Slow it down and realize that you'll need a bit of help, maybe even _a lot_ over these next few days."

She nodded breathlessly, speaking through clenched teeth, "Right. Sorry, I wasn't thinking."

Before she could readjust or reposition herself, Levi was directly in front of her, hand already on her shoulder to keep her from twisting further and he directed her to move back to a more natural position where she wasn't twisted off to one side. He grabbed the empty sleeve, wordlessly guiding her arm through the fabric in a way that didn't require her to move further and exhaled quietly as he worked.

Once her sleeves were in place and the shirt rested against her lightly, he pulled the fabric together lightly so she could button it, admittedly amused because even though he was more of a lithe build and relatively on the smaller stature for the average male, even still the shirt was notably much too large on Petra. He nodded toward her as he looked at her evenly, "You can get the buttons, right?"

He was standing so close to her, voice low and quiet as he watched her with a weighted stare that made her mind empty of all thought, again. She wasn't quite sure what he had said, but damn…his eyes were blue, _so_ blue. She knew they were blue, but in this light, they appeared to be more of a light _sky_ blue instead of the darker steel or cobalt she was used to. Had his eyes _always_ been so light? It was only when Levi's expression changed and he quirked an eyebrow at her, that she realized she had yet to respond. What had he asked her? Oh right, the buttons? Something like that?

She could only nod a few times, because her thoughts were still so muddied – a mix between pain, exhaustion, the various instructions that had been given to her throughout the duration of receiving stitches, and most recently, Levi's blue, blue eyes – and she hoped that a nod actually answered his question, because she really couldn't be too sure of what he just said.

At her response, or perhaps lack thereof, Petra could only imagine the expression on her face because Levi slowly_ smirked _and gave a light chuckle, his own expression warming into something smug and knowing, "_Oh. _Well, unless you _want_ my help?"

At the outright enjoyment in his tone, her mouth fell open and she could again feel blood rushing to her face, because as he watched her with a sudden arrogance and a beckoning, smoldering look in his eye, there was no doubt in her mind that he was well aware as to the cause of her rather delayed responses, and was all out _enjoying_ her embarrassment – once again resorting to teasing her about it.

Although, perhaps it wasn't all out teasing as much as…flirting, Petra realized silently; something intentionally said to get her mind running and heart pounding, and oh boy was it _working_. There was no denying that their relationship had been steadily getting more and more intimate as they both seemed to hesitantly, reluctantly explore the chemistry between them, but it wasn't often, if ever that Petra could recall _Levi_ saying something even _remotely_ suggestive to her.

When her face only grew all the more red and her thoughts continued to revolve solely around the _very _shirtless man in front of her, Levi leaned closer to her, "Just let me know."

She gave a sort of squeak and nodded once, looking intentionally down into the shirt and fumbling slightly with the button's as her nervousness made her movements less precise and sloppy. As she finished buttoning the shirt, the nurse made a few more passing remarks about what to expect in the next few days – what was normal, versus signs to watch out for that indicated improper healing; things that were_ not _normal.

When the nurse finished, Petra was more than ready to go. Ready to get out of the hospital ward, ready to get some sleep, and most of all, ready for Levi to stop _staring _at her like that. Smug or not, deserved or not, she just couldn't handle it all because it was too much to process, too much to think about, and more than anything, all her thoughts were a blurry, thick mess that somehow just kept getting worse and worse as time continued to pass by.

It was as he reached toward her, preparing to carry her back in his arms again to take her back to the compound, that Petra gripped onto the bed tightly and shook her head stubbornly, "No, no please I already had to get carried here once and I'll never live it down."

Her reasons weren't dishonest – she already felt silly enough after being in such bad shape from a_ training_ accident, but what was more, she couldn't imagine being pressed up directly against Levi's bare chest for a solid fifteen minutes where he would undoubtedly tease her the whole way back to the Compound.

She bit her lower lip and shrugged, "I can…I can walk myself."

At her stubborn insisting, Levi's eyes widened and he made a face, "_Can_ you?"

From beside her, the nurse shook her head sternly with a roll of her eyes, and Petra sighed dramatically, "Well I mean, I'll…" she paused in thought and finally looked at him seriously, "I'll hobble or something. I'll make it work."

When Levi quirked an eyebrow and gave her a less than impressed stare, she explained further, feeling as though she were grasping at straws, "I can walk with my one leg, and then lean on you and…hop forward."

"_Hopping_." Levi repeated flatly, and Petra nodded.

"Yeah, that would work; I can hop there. You know, slow and steady wins the race."

Levi scoffed, "Oh yes. Because hopping on one leg like some retarded fucking rabbit is _so _much more dignified than just being carried."

Petra stared at him in agreement and Levi rolled his eyes, "No. I was being sarcastic. Sorry to disappoint you, but I am_ not_ just going to stand there and be used as a human crutch so you can spend all night trying to get there, one fucking jump at a time. I'm _carrying _you."

She groaned and gave a contemplative sigh, "Captain…Maybe…can you at least carry me on your back then? It's a little more dignified and less damsel in distress-y. Please?"

He gave her a long stare and Petra gave him, what she hoped, was a cute smile, "You know, like a piggyback ride? It could be fun."

"…Fine."

He crouched just below where she was seated, and the nurse quickly came to Petra's side, guiding her legs around the sides of his waist and waiting as he stood up slightly to guide her off the edge of the bed and onto his back solidly. He wrapped his arms beneath the bend of her knees and smirked as she hesitantly, cautiously, slowly leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his chest, blushing as she did so.

He somehow innately knew she was thoroughly embarrassed, and he couldn't help the smirk that pulled at his lips as he spoke softly, "How is it? You enjoy being up on top I presume?"

There was a sort of pause, an obvious moment of sheer shock at his words, but then she fell perfectly still, as though in deep thought. Levi almost frowned in suspicion, but before he could assess her intentions, all too late, her hands ran languidly down his chest, fingertips brushing over his abdomen as her nails grazed his skin ever so slightly. His breath caught in his lungs as she pressed herself against his back through her sheer, sheer bindings, her hands tracing even _lower_ near his pant line, as her fingers traced the hem of his pants, back and forth across his abdomen in a languid, torturous line. Feeling both a mix of outright surprise and admitted pleasure, goosebumps rose over his skin from her light, ghost-like caress and his mouth dropped open in a silent question that he wouldn't find the words to ask.

Seeing Petra's wandering hands over his upper body, and then his _not_ so upper body, the nurse blinked and gave an 'Oh' – instantly busying herself with some papers in front of her as a blush came to her face as Petra's hands trailed over the hollows of his hips, daring to dip her fingers _underneath_ the seams of his pants as she traced his skin testingly. The nurse's embarrassment only grabbed his attention all the more, unable to believe that Petra was doing something so…fucking something like _that_ in broad daylight, but point proven, because what could he do – drop her? Move his body in a way that would jolt her – risk rupturing all her stitches, and for what, just to prove a point of his own?

Prove_ what_ exactly? What she already knew? That he wanted her? That the smallest touch from her made his mind blank and his body ache wantonly?

Before he could think of a proper sentence, Petra's voice was in his ear venomously, "You tease me, and I'll tease you right back, Captain. Now either_ you _behave with that damned smirk of yours and your fucking stupid innuendos, or I promise you that this walk back to the Compound will be the longest, most frustrating walk of your life."

He gave a low exhale as her fingers began toying with the band of his briefs – she wouldn't _dare_, would she? - and turned over his shoulder to give her a dirty look because with the nurse watching and the strange level of boldness Petra had seemed to find, he sure as hell didn't want to find out. "So _now_ you can pick up on that sort of thing? There's a first fucking time for everything, isn't there? We're in _public_, woman. Get your hands out of my damn pants."

Well.

…._There_ was a sentence he never thought he'd say to her.

"Oh, _I'm_ overdoing it? _Me?_ I'm tired, I'm shaky, I'm doped up on pain meds where my head is a fuzzy mess after falling right out of the sky, and you chose_ now_ of all times to constantly tease me, watch me with your bedroom eyes and strip down when I can't even think straight? Look who's calling the kettle black, Levi."

Regardless her obvious irritation, she mercifully pulled her hands up and rested them innocently on his shoulders, and Levi responded just as balefully with a roll of his eyes, "Yeah? Well you should have_ seen_ yourself earlier; had you been in my shoes, you would have done the same thing. Besides, I was only _teasing_, it wasn't meant to be taken seriously and then you come in and respond by_ literally_ shoving your hands down my pants-"

"I already said that I'm not myself!" Petra defended shrilly, "Look Captain, if you need your ego stroked _that_ badly where you chose now of all times to try and bait me or get a rise out of me, then you know what…fine!"

Levi fell silent, wondering just what Petra was going to say next that was apparently going to 'stroke his ego'. He quirked an eyebrow as he tried to watch her in challenge, continuing to stare over his shoulder in admitted curiosity, and he groaned as Petra spoke again, his eyes going wide in dread as he realized what was coming.

"Hey Alyssa-"

"Oh for fuck's-"

"_You_ think this man is super fine, right? Will you please look him up and down, _for a long time_, and tell him how attractive he is? He's apparently pretty desperate to hear a compliment. You could start with his baby blue eyes, or inky black hair. Let's not forget he's shirtless too, so be sure to take a nice long look at_ that_, because, I mean, it's right there so how can you _not _want to, am I right?"

The woman turned around, at first with wide eyes, but she apparently found_ something_ to be amusing as she looked between an indignant, smirking Petra, and a clearly embarrassed Captain Levi, because her expression changed into a grin of sorts and she pressed her lips together to keep from laughing.

Levi was already repositioning both of their weights in preparation to leave the room, mortified when Petra just_ kept _talking all the same, and now – shit, now the nurse was _laughing _at him! Petra slapped a hand over his chest and continued, rubbing her hand down his skin in demonstration and he groaned, "Lot to look at here - there's his chest, his abs, his high cheekbones that I would_ kill_ for. Damn, he's just quite a looker, isn't he? On a scale of one to ten, what are your thoughts? Maybe an eight, if you're being conservative? Nine and a half if you're being honest? No doubt he'd be a solid ten if it weren't for the fact he's so damn short, but I'm short too so it doesn't bother me at all."

As she spoke, Levi admittedly_ did_ start to feel bad for giving her such a hard time earlier, because it was now clear to him that the medicine_ was_ actually having a legitimate effect on her. The 'normal' Petra would _never_ behave like this - under any circumstances. She would never embarrass _him_, for one, but what was more, her _own _sense of embarrassment ran so deep that even if she wanted to 'get even' for his teasing her, she would have been unable to do so - as that would have required her to admit her attraction in the first place – something she had only done _once_, in the silence of the night and in a mere whisper, only when she had been certain he was 'asleep'.

He supposed that accounted for her wandering eyes earlier and her _blatant_ approval of his physique – the pain medicine was causing her to relax _more_ than just a little toomuch, but it couldn't be helped. He just had to get her out of there, and back to the compound where she would be safe from the public eye and ergo, unable to_ humiliate_ him any further like this.

"Oh this is great," Petra called out to the nurse as he walked out of the room in heightened embarrassment and irritation, finding his legs couldn't move them out of the room fast enough but not wanting to cause a bigger commotion by literally running out, "He's got a _great_ ass, check out his ass! Honestly, I gotta say that I think his ass is my favorite because, _damn_. You be sure to check that out while you still can because, wow is it worth the trouble. Gods, he has such a nice ass."

He blinked at her words, because drugs or not…_that _was new. From behind him, there was a warm laugh, "Bye Mrs. Ackerman! You make sure to get _a lot_ of sleep, okay?"

Petra leaned back slightly, her forearm pressing into his neck uncomfortably as she looked behind her to respond, "You think about it, okay? How about I send you a _picture_ of him? Then you can write a whole…whole damn paper about him or something. This is a fine piece of _man_ right here!"

"Oi, Petra, _enough_. Face forward or you'll rip your stitches."

"Oh, right." She leaned forward and allowed her head to rest squarely on his shoulder as they walked into the lobby and outside toward the path, her chin pressing against his collarbone as she spoke proudly, all out missing the various smirks and laughter that her previous words had earned from the various awaiting Scouts and the medical staff that had overheard her not so quiet, off color remarks about a certain, well known Captain, "There. Serves you right."

He rolled his eyes, though managed to keep the sarcasm out of his voice. Barely. "Oh, I learned my lesson alright."

And that, he did. He learned that Petra was more than a little…_loopy_ from her high dosage of rather strong pain medicine, and if _this _was what she was like while her mental defenses were down, he had _no_ interest in seeing her drunk. The _normal_ Petra had no problem calling him out for his shit – but _this _Petra seemed to fucking_ live_ for it.

He realized with a sort of dread that in a few weeks, he would have to go back to the medical ward with her for her follow up appointments, and be subjected to their knowing smirks and stares because as he left, their thoughts were written so painfully clear across their faces:

Humanity's Strongest was _whipped._

…

* * *

End of Chapter

* * *

…

*dramatic, boisterous laughter*

Okay, this chapter is one that has me rolling on the floor laughing, because pain medicine does funny things to people – myself included – and poor Levi didn't figure it out quick enough and got made into a bit of a spectacle after offending her. Ahhh, bless his heart. I love the knowing smile and the 'Byyee Mrs. Ackerman' from the nurse, I can hear that line in my head and for whatever reason,_ that's_ the line that just has me losing it.

And in more serious news, let it be known that while yes, last week, I was writing my mini holiday piece, I have been consistently writing new material for this piece and I wanted to give an update. I wanted to say that I don't think sixty chapters is going to be practical guys for me to actually tie things up, and in truth I feel guilty saying that because I know this story is ALREADY long, quite long, and me saying sixty isn't long enough feels almost rude. I _personally_ thinkthat the story isn't dragging on and on, where yall will get to a place where you're like, seriously, Midnight? This could have ended twenty chapters ago and it would have been fine! In reading the material that yall can't see, I personally feel its still engaging and not where yall will feel that way, but all that to say, I think that closer to maybe…*sigh* eighty chapters?

I'm still hoping for closer to seventy, but I thought I would give that warning now. I owe it to myself, and yall to tie it up _right._ I won't be adding in extra things or fillers of any kind – only things that actually impact the plot and character development and actually matter – and if that takes those extra few chapters, I ask for your patience and understanding. I have the plot lined from A to Z, I have since the beginning, and as I'm fleshing out what I envisioned in my mind so long ago, its hard to properly gauge how long it's going to be until it gets closer to that time. But as always, I like to keep yall in on the loop so that come chapter sixty five, you're not like, and she's wrapping this all up in three chapters? No way!

I'll…try to be open. And fair with yall. The plot is great, and I for real think you will love it, but it…takes time guys :( Regardless, thanks for everything, and I hope to continue to make it worth your time investment, because I know that that's valuable.

~Midnight


	42. The One Back in Petra's Room

Morning everyone.

So this is a HUGE day. Today the Chiefs officially join the play offs and we have homefield advantage, at Arrowhead, with sharp looking yellow endzones, and we play against the Texans. From their, the winners of THIS game will play against the Titans (not the man eating ones, haha) for the AFC division spot for the superbowl. My heart can't take this guys. I'm wearing all red, doing all my gameday vibes – this is a HUGE deal guys and I've got a good feeling about it. Even still, any good vibes you can send for my Chiefs will be sooo appreciated.

Without further ado, here's this weeks chapter. I'm glad yall found last chapter to be just as thrilling as I did, because oh yes, we love a sassy medicated Petra who's not afraid to give Levi the ol' one two.

…

* * *

…

It was as they were walking back down the path that Petra sighed, resting her head in the crook of his neck and looking up at him with an unsatisfied sort of frown, "Okay Captain, I've got to know – what would you have done differently in my position? I'm guessing you would have walked out without a scratch, right?"

His eyebrows rose for a small moment and he thought over her question. She was looking for honest feedback, and while it was a valid question, the fact she just assumed he could have fared much better, let alone walking out without a scratch, spoke volumes about what she thought of his skill level, that and his apparent, sheer _luck._

He snorted, "You really think I'm tough shit don't you?" he gave a laugh when she actually _nodded_ into his skin, still clearly being impacted by the strong medication and he shook his head in amusement, "You did everything you could have Petra – the doctor was right, most people would have _died_. You thought on your feet and made decisive calls that saved your life. Had it been _me_…" he trailed off in thought, "Well…I think you had the right idea in using the one wire you had. Maybe I would have tried to use it to wrap around a branch and sort of hang there? Depends on the layout of the forest and how lucky the falling position is on that one though. I might have fucking _emptied_ my gas tanks in attempts to cut some of the speed even further, though I guess with the gas shortage in full swing, I can understand why using your supplies more efficiently was the first thought that came to your mind, considering it was you of all people. I don't know, personally I think it just goes to show you that the formation itself was utter shit so-"

As Levi explained his thoughts to her, Petra blinked slowly, her mouth falling open as her eyebrows knit together across her forehead. She lifted her head off him, mystified by his words that sparked something within her.

"Captain, say that again." she whispered tensely, her voice having a sort of distance to it as thoughts began to churn slowly in her head, puzzle pieces reluctantly clicking into place one by one as she tried to force her mind to rethink her prior approach.

"…The formation is shit. Don't tell me you're trying to defend it; it was obviously a bust so-"

She shook her head slowly, deep in thought as she tried to force her mind to focus, "No, no what you said before that. Something about efficiency or whatnot?"

Levi stayed silent for a moment, but hesitantly repeated himself in question, wondering just what it was that Petra was up to with her sudden shift in demeanor, "I said that I can understand why you using your supplies more efficiently was the first thing that came to mind? Instead of just…you know, emptying the gas tank? Look I didn't mean anything by that, every one has a different level of individual skill and talent so don't take it as gospel. It was just an idea I had on the fly so-"

Petra shook her head and blinked, her voice gaining in volume as though she had just had some grand epiphany of sorts, "Oh my god. Levi. We've been looking at it the wrong way this _whole_ time. All of us…"

He cocked his head to the side, trying to make eye contact with her and eyes going wide at the strange expression on her face, "Looking at _what_ the wrong-"

"Take me back to the office." She stated firmly as she cut him off, and Levi looked back to the path in front of him and shook his head sternly.

"Yeah, fuck no. Request denied. You just broke your ankle, broke a rib, got a shit ton of stitches, you have a damned concussion – the only reason you are even able to _function_ right now is because of all the pain medicine the doctors have you jacked up on, and what's more, I'm not sure if 'functioning' is the proper word for it either, because it's pretty clear that you're fucking _high_ right now because of it. No idea what the hell you are talking about, but I am taking you to your _room_. I'll have Four Eyes come and help get you showered and dressed properly, and then after that, you are getting some rest."

Petra slapped a hand across his chest sharply to grab his attention and cut him off in a frustrated growl, slapping him hard enough that there was a resulting ache that made his skin both itch and sting, "Levi, if _you_ don't take me yourself, I swear to you that I will _drag_ my body across the ground the whole way if I have to, but I am _getting_ into that office. If I have to _claw_ my way through the damn door, hell, even if you _lock_ the door, I'll dismantle the handle piece by piece! I will not rest until I-"

He groaned in irritation and turned his head over his shoulder to give her a warning glance of sorts, certain that once again, it was her medicine speaking and he had had more than enough trouble from her over dramatic, evil alter ego, "Petra, fucking _no_. Whatever document you want to fill out can wait. Youare resting, and that's final."

"Document? What are you-" her voice trailed off as though she had no idea what he was talking about, then groaned, "No, no this is something else. Look, it's not the paperwork okay? I swear. Just take me back to your office and leave me there for a bit. Let's be practical, it's not exactly like I'd be able to go anywhere or do anything strenuous. I just…have a few things I want to check is all."

He shook his head, "Petra…"

She cut him off, hope still tangible in her voice as she spoke, "Hey, hey you still have to tell Erwin and get an incident report filled out, right? While you're doing that, I've got some numbers to crunch, so please? They are_ important _numbers, Levi."

Levi gave a long exhale and looked back to the path again, irritated that Petra was so stubborn and even at a time like _this_, she preferred to_ work_ instead of taking even a moment to herself and relaxing like she _needed_ to.

He groaned, "_What_ numbers, Petra?"

To his knowledge there was nothing so urgent that needed to be seen to then and there, so why she was being so insistent and stubborn – it _had_ to be the pain medicine talking, he was sure of it, there was no other explanation for it.

There was a long moment of silence, and Petra eventually sighed and brushed her thumbs against his collarbones nervously, placing her head back onto his shoulder in a sort of agitated admission, "Look, I don't want to say because it's all just a theory in my head, which is still fuzzy and weird and I don't want to get my hopes up because honestly… I may be wrong."

Levi almost paused in step as realization finally came over him, but seemed to catch himself and kept moving down the path. His voice was quiet, tense. "…This is about the gas shortage, isn't it?"

When Petra didn't immediately respond, he glared back toward her narrowly, "Petra you swore to me you were done with this. I_ ordered_ you to be done with this, less than three days ago. You _promised_ me."

"Yeah but Levi-"

"Goddammit all Petra, you can't win them all! I fucking thought we were done with this!" he responded tersely, and he felt her stiffen against him as she inhaled sharply, likely cut to some extent by his obvious anger. He allowed himself a moment to calm down because he knew his response when she was less than herself, wasn't fair, and he exhaled, "I'm not trying to be a dick, but I don't want to have to walk in on you in a mess of papers and have to pick you up off the floor again. I need you at your _best_ and I can't have you cracking under the pressure that Erwin's trying to put on you again. More than that…." He sighed, finding there was a certain degree of curiosity that was eating him alive, because – and perhaps it was just the medicine, but even still - Petra seemed so…adamant.

He shook his head and whispered, "What are the chances?"

"Huh?"

"What are the chances that you've got it figured out? Are you bullshitting me again, or do you actually have a lead? Be _honest _with me Petra."

She considered his question, and nodded a few times, her voice quiet but firm with conviction, "Levi, I've got a lead. For real. I know I'm not all there and my head is just a blurry mess but…I just…damn it, that's why I have to get to your office because I don't _know_ just yet! I know I'm onto something, but I don't know and I've got to look at a few papers to make sure that it's tangible. It's just…it's _something_."

"Well if it's _just _something," he responded firmly, "Then it can wait until you've rested properly because it doesn't sound like much to me."

Petra groaned and somewhat bounced on his back defiantly, much like a toddler stomping their feet after not getting their way. "Captiiin!" she whined his title out and he made a face, hating when she whined like that; always with a nasally tone that caused his head to ache. She gave a loud exhale and then sighed, putting her head back down onto his shoulder in a subdued fashion, "This is the best lead I've gotten, and Erwin said that if we get something figured out in the next few weeks that it would still be enough time to put it into the training material for _all_ teams! Just a bit of time is all I ask. How about a compromise? You take me to your office, then go talk to Erwin. When you get back, I won't fight you; I'll get cleaned up and we can go back to my room and I won't give you any trouble after that."

There was a long-suffering sigh that followed her passionate explanation, and Levi shook his head in frustration, finding it unbelievable that against all odds, they really _were_ having this conversation again. He gave a deep sigh, "You _swear_?"

"Scout's Honor."

Levi gave a terse groan and glared at the path ahead, "Stop fucking _saying_ that like it's a thing."

"Well it should be a thing!" Petra defended with wide eyes, "It's a play on words!"

"It's fucking stupid." He replied firmly; eyes narrowed in irritation.

"Yet you're smiling?" she responded, more of a question than a statement, considering she couldn't actually see his expression at the moment.

"I'm not smiling."

"Really? Not even a small smile? But it's so clever! Don't you have _any_ sense of humor at all? Well maybe if I explained it to you, you see when I say that Sco-"

Levi pressed his lips together and shook his head, "Oh hell no. I don't need your damned explanation, I get it; it's just that _bad. _If I take you to my office, will you promise to stop using that stupid phrase around me? It's fucking annoying."

She merely nodded and a coy smile came to her lips. "…Scout's Honor, Captain."

"Gods, why the hell did I marry you." He mumbled to himself, and Petra giggled but negated to respond further, knowing that her battle had been won. Deny it all he wanted, but Petra knew doubtlessly that the Captain _was _indeed, smiling.

...

* * *

...

As agreed, he had taken Petra to his office, and after a long day of being in the medical ward with her, he had taken a shower, washed the blood off, and dressed himself in a fresh and unstained, clean uniform. After that, he had gone to Erwin's office to document the accident - as well as report scathingly that he could wholeheartedly deem the new formation as '_unsafe_' for the systematic use within the Scout Regiment, considering the obvious_ success_ it had been for his squad.

Though Erwin had expressed his sincere condolences in having any part in Petra's poor fortune, considering he did not want a repeat of their previous confrontation and subsequently earn yet another swing from the Captain - Levi had made a point of being intentionally curt, sarcastic, and as generally _unpleasant_ as possible because part of him did hold the man responsible after having assigned them such a bust of a formation in the first place.

They had dutifully filled out the various forms, discussed potential avenues for her upcoming rehabilitation, her immediate recovery instructions, how long the doctor had put her on leave, as well as other updates regarding his subordinate that_ Levi _needed to be aware of in regards towards her situation.

Once his business with Erwin was concluded, he had located Hanji and confirmed that he needed her help in getting Petra properly cleaned up, because while her wounds were properly dressed and cleaned, Petra herself was still a bloody, dirty, matted-hair mess - and considering how self-conscious she had been previously, he knew full well that it would be best handled by someone other than him.

In the process of walking back to his office with her, he had begrudgingly admitted that Petra was…currently running the numbers again on Erwin's behalf, and that she had even seemed optimistic about it. Hanji had watched him curiously through this divulged information, eyes wide and shocked into silence as it wasn't like Levi to talk about his squad with the likes of her. Eventually, he had asked through a sort of embarrassed mumble, if she would help Petra, in whatever way she could think of, because – in his words – Petra wanted to succeed so desperately, and he was running out of ideas. She didn't need muscle or someone to crack from sheer intimidation. No, his skills were…admittedly useless to her, and he didn't know who else to turn to.

It had certainly bit at his pride to have to go to someone else to oversee and assist his subordinate, but of all people, he knew Hanji was someone he could trust. What was more, perhaps a softer approach would do her well, finding yet another reason that somewhat disqualified him.

When they had gotten to his office, Petra was leaning over his desk with a serious expression, and he spoke lightly as to not outright break her focus, tapping on the doorframe hesitantly, "Hey Petra, Hanji's here. She's going to help get you cleaned up; are you ready to-"

"Hanji?" Petra asked suddenly, blinking as though that were the only word she had even heard him say. She looked up hopefully and when her eyes seemed to land on the Scientist, her expression turned somewhat pensive, "Can you…come look at this? It's just a theory…but…"

A look was exchanged between the two women and Hanji gave a short nod, moving up toward her and standing over her shoulder as she joined his subordinate behind his desk. She looked over the paper and after a few moments, her eyes narrowed as she surveyed whatever Petra had been working on.

There was a strange expression that came across Hanji's face, and she furrowed her eyebrows as she shook her head. "Interesting…" she whispered quietly, so quietly that had the room not already been dead silent, her soft sort of mumble wouldn't have even been heard.

Petra found she was repeating herself as a sort of nervousness overcame her, uncertain if she was onto something, or if it was just a mess of numbers that were created from her lapse of focus and heavily medicated state, "I know it's a bit messy and…I don't know if it makes much sense…it's just…my theory."

Hanji stood up fully and gave Petra a smile, before her attention fell onto Levi and her smile only grew all the more as she stared at the waiting Captain with a sort of excited smirk, "Well now, do you know how we come to_ prove_ theories like this, Petra?"

Levi's expression grew uneasy under the weight of Hanji's increasingly direct stare, and the Scientist chuckled in anticipation, "Gotta admit, I've always wanted to experiment on _you_ Levi."

He frowned outright at her words, making a defensive face and about to tell Hanji to not step within ten feet of him, but before he had a chance, Petra spoke up in confusion, "The Captain?" she asked Hanji, and then a sort of epiphany came to her face and she also stared at him with a wide eyed face of apparent revelation, "Oh my god, the _Captain!_ Hanji, Hanji that's it!"

Levi groaned, glaring defensively in dread as both women watched him with strange, unnerving and excited expressions. He wasn't sure _what_ they were talking about, but he was already regretting having ever told Hanji to help her because whatever Petra was going on about, suddenly involved _him _as some sort of…test subject.

He pressed his lips together and crossed his arms. Had it not been for the fact that his subordinate was greatly injured, he would have walked out then and there without a word, potentially even requested time off. Instead, he gave a long-suffering sigh, "Petra. Care to explain your apparent 'theory' to me?" he turned his gaze to Hanji and glared, "And _no_ experiments, Four-Eyes, not _one._"

Hanji gave a musical laugh and responded with a gleeful shake of her head, "Oh not to worry Levi, these experiments will be right up your alley. No blood draws, no poking or prodding – Scout's Honor!" at her use of the irritatingly familiar phrase, his eyes narrowed and he glared at Petra suspiciously, though Hanji continued, "No offense Petra, but you look terrible. How about we all three discuss this while we're getting you cleaned up?"

Petra looked up toward her in concern, a blush coming to her face, "Wait, while _we're_ getting me cleaned up, as in,_ all_ of us? I uh, I assumed Levi wasn't coming to that - wasn't that the entire point of bringing you here in the first place?"

There was a long sort of pause at Petra's question, and after a moment, Hanji looked toward Levi in question, "Oh? No? You guys _haven't_-"

Hanji trailed off then, although regardless, her question_ was_ rather obvious, and the response she got in return – a mortified blush from Petra and a scathing, murderous glare from Levi – was _equally_ as obvious. She blinked in surprise at the questions this raised in her mind, "Oh. Well, wow. You guys are so close now, I really could have sworn that-"

Hanji shook her head in quiet marvel and turned her attention back to Levi, a blank sort of innocent expression across her face as she struggled to accept this new information, "You've been married for what, five months now, and still no? Well, I can certainly see why you're so frustrated Levi; perhaps if you talked to a therapist or-" she sighed and made a thoughtful expression, "Then again, I suppose those sorts of _problems _can happen to anyone, even Humanity's Strongest. You really should have just _said _something Levi, there's a lot of different things you can take that should help with holding an-"

"Hanji!" Petra suddenly shrieked, "Can we please not do this right now?!"

Hanji blinked in surprise as though not understanding her alarm in the slightest, and merely shrugged as she turned back toward the injured Scout indifferently, "Sure, just add yet another thing to the list of 'Things Petra doesn't Do.' And in the meantime - Levi, you think about what I said. It's nothing to be ashamed of."

Levi's eyes were also wide, as though he had_ no_ idea what to say to Hanji's sudden insinuation, though she merely continued with a sigh, not sensing Petra's obvious shock and Levi's increasingly dark aura because fuck she irritated the fucking shit out of him, and eventually stood up fully with a nod, "Well then, no Levi for the time being. We'll just keep chatting about this while we get you cleaned up, sound good?"

Hanji had assisted Petra in standing up from the floor, and though Levi had made a dramatic point of not wanting to get anywhere near Hanji with all her talk of experiments, not to mention her unwarranted talk about …_other_ issues, it seemed his worry for Petra won out in the end because he charged across the floor with the intensity of a storm as he watched the Scientist pull her up in a haphazard manner, "Hanji, what are you – she broke her ankle you idiot; try to show a little bit more caution, yes?"

He picked Petra back up with a warning glare, not giving her the option as to how she preferred to be carried and moved down the hall in irritation.

…

* * *

…

Petra was relaxed across her bed, having very recently returned from her excursion with Hanji. Due to the fact the stitches couldn't be soaked in water, they had resorted to a bucket of water that they used to painstakingly wash one area at a time, starting from her hair and working their way down until she was completely clean and free from all dirt and blood. Needless to say it had taken over an hour, but at the very least, it had given them time to more fully discuss her theory, and they debated back and forth the best methods to test it out.

When she had gotten back to her room, Levi was already waiting for her, just shy of pacing because it was obvious he was unnerved by how long it had taken them. He had helped her settle into bed, and once she was properly situated, he gave her a suspicious stare.

"You going to tell me what you and Four Eyes are plotting?"

"I will," Petra agreed with a tired smile, shifting across her bed as she tried to get comfortable, "But not tonight. I _will_ let you know that I'm cancelling the squad's training tomorrow, because we'll need you as our test subject as a basis to run the next line of tests, and that might take some time. I suppose Eld could run drills on his own if you wanted, but, not that you're looking for advice mind you, but I might recommend you give the guys the day off tomorrow. I can't imagine they're firing on all cylinders right now. A day off might be for the best."

Levi quirked an eyebrow, "Oh? And you just_ expect _that I'll do all of that, cancel my material for tomorrow, intentionally setting myself up to be poked and prodded by that psychopath, just because you asked? Yeah, hell no. Just who gives you the right to control _my_ schedule?"

Petra gave a light shrug, "Well at the moment no one, but fair warning, Hanji's clearing it with Erwin right now so take that for whatever its worth."

Levi stiffened as his expression soured, and Petra gave an exhausted, light smile, "Don't worry too much, you know I wouldn't do anything to actually harm you or make you uncomfortable. I just don't want you to overthink it, which is exactly what would happen if I told you the details right now. Just trust me, okay?"

Levi seemed to consider her words for a long moment, and eventually sighed as he nodded toward her thoughtfully, "How's your head?"

Petra frowned and shifted across her bed, "Well, I can tell that the pain medicine is wearing off. It's tolerable right now, but the pain is coming back bit by bit so I'm not looking forward to that. Plus side however is that my thoughts are finally a bit more clear and I can focus properly for once, which is a nice change of pace. Which…brings to mind uh…this afternoon." Petra frowned and looked up toward her ceiling in frustration, almost mumbling in a sort of shame, "I don't think that I should take any more of the pain medicine."

Though he had an idea of where she was going with this, he watched her flatly, "Oh?"

Petra bit her inner lip and shrugged, "Earlier today, I behaved so_ terribly_ Captain. What I said to the medical staff about you, how stubborn I was…" she groaned and brought her hands over her face, "It's a little fuzzy, but if I'm remembering correctly I was talking about you in some uh…less than appropriate ways, right? Something about your chest or whatever?"

Levi snorted at her hazy summary that had _more_ than glossed over what had actually happened in the medical ward, and he crossed his arms tersely, "Well you _started _there, then worked your way down until you had commented on everything from my 'inky black hair' to my ass. If I recall correctly, apparently my ass is your _personal_ favorite because," he paused and made air quotes with his fingers as he watched her evenly, "In your words – 'Damn'."

"Oh _gods_." She groaned loudly, her face suddenly glowing red as he watched her directly. She brought her hands to her face and sighed, "I was hoping that was all just a horrible sort of _dream_ from all the medicine. If that's true then…" her eyes went wide and she looked up from her hands in obvious question and sheer dread, "Captain…I'm pretty sure I attempted to _molest _you."

He shrugged at her words, responding wordlessly that her statement was more or less an accurate one, and again she gave another horrified groan, causing Levi to chuckle at her dramatic wailing. Petra looked toward him remorsefully and shook her head, "I'm so sorry Levi, honest. I am not trying to make excuses, but everything was just so unclear and my head was so out of sorts and-" she shook her head and sighed, "I feel terrible, and I can't imagine intentionally taking the medicine when I know it makes me so _not_ myself. I don't want to look like a fool, and I don't want to make you look like one either. It'll be uncomfortable perhaps but, I'll manage somehow. There's no way I can take the medicine again, not after that."

Levi crossed his arms and exhaled, "Let's not get too hasty, Petra. Your next dose is less than an hour away, and considering you'll be staying in your room and sleeping, I see no reason for you to skip out. Sorry to burst your bubble, but you're taking it."

At his words, Petra sat up from her bed slightly, "But Captain!"

He held up a hand to silence her, and he continued factually, "Now as for tomorrow, you said that I'll be with you to some extent, right? I'll admit you weren't exactly yourself earlier today, but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle. Besides, if tomorrow is as big of a day as you say it is, keep in mind that you won't get anything accomplished if you're under immense pain, so it can't be helped – you'll need the medicine just to get by. I can give Hanji the heads up that the medicine does tend to mess with your head to a notable extent, and if you get too out of sorts, I'll be there to keep you in check myself."

Petra gave an uneasy shake of her head, "But, Levi, I just…"

He watched her seriously, "Petra, I'll take care of you, okay? Now it's your turn to trust _me_."

At his simple statement, she watched him for a long moment before finally giving a sigh. She looked back toward him and gave him a shy smile, "Okay, but…before the medicine completely wears off and I'm too shy to speak candidly like this again, let me just say that…you really look good, Levi. And I mean, _really_ good. And…and don't tease me, because I'm trying to give you a sincere compliment and that's hard to do when you just want to turn it around and make me uncomfortable. I do find you attractive, very much so, but I just…I don't know. I want to be careful. And smart. And if things maybe ever do change between us where maybe you…I mean, maybe _we_ would…" she gave a sort of smile, as though lost in thought and all but smiling warmly at the mere idea of them being together more intimately. Her smile brightened as she looked at him directly, "I'd want it to mean something, you know? Something more than just…you having a nice body."

Levi sighed as she watched him, nodding simply because her words had somehow made the conversation regarding their unspoken physical relationship that was more often then not merely comprised of them dipping their toes in the water as though to test the temperature – somehow _more_ intimate, more treasured and more special, simply because she wanted those very things from him. He found that her words calmed his mind considerably because at the very least, it was clear he wasn't the only one thinking about what the future might hold in store for them.

He gave a small grin, shifting on his chair as he leaned closer to her gently so he could respond, "I understand. And if it makes you feel better, I was only teasing you before because it's just so fucking rare that you ever get so out of sorts around me. I didn't catch on at first that your medicine was taking a toll on you, and so some of the blame for what happened earlier today falls on my shoulders. While I could go _without _your public shaming, I suppose to some extent I'm flattered, because you _also_ look-" he paused and with a long exhale, shook his head as he looked over her with a sort of smirk, "_Really_ fucking good, Petra. I hope you know that you're not the only one that gets distracted, because..."

Again he sighed as he struggled to find the right words, eventually giving a slight groan of defeat, "Fuck, you're just so damn gorgeous and a part of me can't even believe it. Even still, I don't want to push you or to ever make you feel that-"

A knock on the door interrupted them, and Levi groaned – because of course someone would come knocking now of all times. Now. When they were _finally _having that conversation – the conversation that they had been dancing around for months on end – _now_ someone had come knocking on her door.

Levi turned over his shoulder, looking toward the door with an irritated scowl, "Who the _fuck_ is it?"

….

* * *

End Of Chapter

* * *

…

So that will do for this week's update. Hope this week found yall in good health and that yall are starting the year off strong. It's crazy to me how fast time is flying. We're already close to the middle of January and if I'm being real with yall, I haven't even taken down our Christmas tree yet. It's always hard for me to do, it's one of my favorite things to look at, so tearing it down always makes me so very sad :(

Hope yall enjoyed the chapter and…yeah, gas shortage – that's already rearing its ugly head again. And just when it seemed to be over. *sigh* Poor Levi. I'm sure the words 'gas shortage' are all but a trigger for him at this point. You know he probably hears about it at every meeting with Erwin, heard Petra talking about it nonstop not so long ago – poor fella would get it from every angle to be sure and I'd wager a hefty price that he's sick of it.

(Also that very last conversation between Levi and Petra, gah, be still my heart. So needed.)

Bleh. But those are just my musings. Yall have an awesome week and I'll see you next Sunday!

~Midnight


	43. The One Where Oluo Knows

Guys – it's really happening.

Today is the day that the Chiefs will play the Titans – and if we win, this will mean we actually go to the Superbowl. Yall gotta understand something - this is the first time I have _personally_ been able to witness this, because the last time the Chiefs went to the Superbowl, I wasn't even _born_ yet so…yeah, yall I'm like insanely excited! For any of my readers that may be Titan's fans…yeah, I understand it's rare for yall as well, and Tannehill's showing some real promise but…

The Titan's are going down :)

As for this chapter, I can't spend too long talking about football, because this update here is a good one – I really like this chapter, and hope yall enjoy it! Thanks for being super awesome!

...

* * *

...

Amidst their very important conversation, one that perhaps made a certain Captain just as nervous as he was excited to hear such thrilling words from Petra, a knock on the door had interrupted them, and Levi groaned in instant frustration. Of course someone would come knocking now of all times. Now. When they were _finally _having that conversation – the conversation that they had been dancing around for months on end – _now_ someone had come knocking on her door.

Damn, he had always had rather poor luck. Some part of him wasn't even all that surprised.

Aside from the annoyance that was their rather important conversation being cut off, what was more, it had taken him the latter half of the day to get Petra out of his office, had taken an even _longer _time for Hanji to get all the residual dirt and blood and sticks out of her hair and wash her body while the two women exchanged whatever hushed secrets and theories between each other, and now that Petra was _finally_ back and settled in her bed, the last thing Levi wanted was for someone else to come in and steal her attentions away when she could actually settle down and get some much needed rest.

It was perhaps a bit of a wonder to him, but it seemed that somehow Petra had managed to plan a full day of work that would keep her just as busy as him, regardless her very injured state. Had it been anyone else, under any other circumstances, the fact they were on leave would have instantly put a halt to any further military activities like this, and yet, like always, Petra had seemingly found a way to skirt past the rules once again. Even if it bothered him to know that Petra wasn't going to be resting the way she obviously needed to, now that Erwin was involved he was outranked to some extent, so at the very least, he wanted to make sure that if only for this one evening, she got some true, uninterrupted rest.

It was ironic – when he had been sick all those months ago, he had made a big deal about her hovering and suffocating him with her overwhelming presence and worry, but he found that her 'hovering' was _nothing _when compared to his actions. As it stood now, he had pulled out her desk chair and was facing her directly, watching her like a hawk. He had very much taken on the roll as her protector and parole officer in one, and she couldn't so much as cough without him being instantly aware and alert of her condition.

He had already told her that he was staying with her that night – all night. She had watched him with wide eyes, a blush coming to her face as she mumbled a 'Captain is that really necessary?' because she was obviously still very afraid of what her medicated self might do or say, but Levi merely gave her a firm nod and said it wasn't up for discussion. Considering that in the event she needed anything during the night, she wouldn't even be able to do anything other than call out to the guys and hope that her calls woke one of them up, Levi found it just made more sense that he remain by her side until she could at least get up and walk around again.

He had figured they'd stay up just long enough to get her next dose of medicine in, after that he'd leave her room for a bit so he could change into night clothes, brush his teeth, and give Eld the heads up regarding the change in plans for tomorrow's training, and then he'd come back to her room. He'd turn out the lights and just sleep in her chair as he silently oversaw her through the night hours and that would be that – and so some random person paying them a sudden and unexpected visit like this, put him in a foul mood rather quickly because did _no one _understand or respect the fact the Petra needed some actual, proper _rest?_

"Who the_ fuck_ is it?" Levi responded irritably to their unwelcome guest – his voice low and challenging, not so much _asking_ who it was, so much as _demanding_ to know who had the audacity to come and bother them at such a time.

At his harsh demand, finally a voice came from the other side of the door, "It's Oluo, can I come in?"

Petra watched as Levi visibly stiffened, his eyes widening in obvious anger from just _hearing _his voice alone. Just like that, his seemingly calm, pensive mood deteriorated into obvious displeasure.

Before Petra could even respond, Levi pulled one of his arms around the back of his chair, looking toward the door and responding with unrestrained anger, "No. You can _fuck off_, you've done enough as it is, fucking dumbass."

"Captain!" Petra reprimanded him with equal ferocity, and Levi turned toward her with wide eyes as she glared at him in obvious distaste, "That is not your place to decide! This is_ my_ room and if Oluo wants to come in and talk to me he's more than welcome to!" she took a deep breath and watched him narrowly, "And furthermore Captain, you owe him an apology!"

"_Me?" _he repeated in obvious offense, "I'm not apologizing for _shit!_"

The way he was watching her, there was a strange look in his eye – a ferocity and fire to his anger - but there was something else in his posture, the stiffness in his jaw and the way he gripped the chair so tightly that his knuckles were white, that made her question if there was more to the story and an unresolved tension between Levi and her squad mate that she was unaware of.

Petra looked toward the door with a tense exhale, "Oluo give me a minute. Just hang on for a second and I'll call you in."

"You sure?"

"If you so much as step through the fucking_ door_ I'll-" Levi stated viciously, and Petra cleared her throat sternly.

"I'm sure, Oluo. Give me a minute."

"O..okay. I'll just…wait here then."

Her gaze settled on Levi and she scowled as he watched her with an equally frustrated glower, "Levi. This isn't like you. What's. Wrong."

He blinked at her question – though with that tone of voice it was more of a threat really – looked back toward the door, then finally back toward Petra again who was still watching him with murderous intent. He dropped his head toward the floor after giving a sigh, not wanting to admit the truth but finding the words pouring out of him just the same.

"I can't…I can't be around him right now Petra. I'm..." he brought a hand to his face and raked his fingers through his hair in frustration, "I'm far too angry to let it go. I'm sorry, but no. He's not coming in here. Not today. I'll fucking kill him."

When Petra gave him a skeptical stare, clearly stating that she wasn't buying his dramatic threat, he rolled his eyes, "Okay. I wouldn't murder him, but…" he looked up at her in remorse, "Petra, there would be blood. _That's_ a promise."

Petra gave a sigh and allowed the silence to extend as she attempted to pick her words. She adjusted her position across the bed and looked up toward the ceiling in thought, "Levi, you've got to understand that it really was an _accident_. I truly have no anger towards him because I think it was more than just a 'stupid mistake' – we were all kind of flying blind out there. I can't speak for anyone else, but I know that _I _could barely hear you, and Oluo was even further away from you than I was. The only reason I knew where to go was because I was watching Eld and Gunther in front of me, so to be honest, I was _reacting_ off them more than I was actually following your orders."

Levi stood up from off the chair, kneeling near the edge of her bed so he could speak quiet enough where Oluo wouldn't be able to hear his hushed words.

"Petra, it's not that. I _know_ it was an accident but…you're my wife-"

"Only on-" she found herself refuting, a sheer force of habit, and Levi rolled his eyes.

"Yes, only on paper, but if anything were to happen to you I…" he shook his head as he struggled to find the right words, and he gave another frustrated sigh as the unnamable emotions continued to swarm within him and make him ineloquent and tongue tied, "I know you're a soldier and that means anything can happen at any time; I've accepted that, but something like_ this_ – I mean, who the fuck would have ever expected-" He groaned, "I mean, I was watching you fall through the trees but no matter how fast I moved it wasn't fast enough. Watching you hit the ground and then you were just _lying there_ and you didn't respond for the longest time-"

"You were scared…" Petra filled in his silence with a questioning glance, and he scoffed.

"No shit, Sherlock."

He leaned even closer to her, running a hand over the expanse of her cheek and continuing, somehow even more quietly than before. Though his previous sarcasm had irritated her, his soft and hesitant touch made her mind blank. "When Erwin married us, I vowed to protect you, to support you and watch over you and that - that fucking _Oluo _almost sent it all to hell! I mean, shit, Oluo of all people."

Petra felt her eyebrows pull together because Levi had just been pensive, more resolved, but at the mere mention of Oluo, _again_ he was livid, and yet his words just…

She cut him off with a wave of her hand, "Levi, I'm really sorry but… is there something I don't understand that makes it such a big deal it was _Oluo _versus like…Gunther or Eld, or, _anyone_? I'm trying to be understanding and not jump to conclusions, but I am really struggling to keep up with you on that point, because you really seem to dwell on the fact it was Oluo _specifically_."

At her question, Levi allowed himself a smirk and a silence fell over the room.

Instead of answering, he merely moved up onto her bed, sitting on the edge near her side and placing one arm over her lightly, shifting again until he was leaning over her relaxed frame. His chest, his body, was hovering above her to some extent and Petra looked up at him in sudden question and nervous alarm as he purposefully loomed over her with a strange expression she couldn't place.

"Uh…L-Levi?" she squeaked out nervously, and he didn't leave her guessing for long. He leaned down and pressed his lips against hers fiercely, the need to claim her running through him like an all-out fire in his veins, because yes it _was_ a big fucking deal that it was Oluo, and he didn't want to validate the copy-cat fuck by giving him any sort of head nod as a rival or anything more than a mere blip on his radar.

Even if watching Oluo's silent desire for Petra – for _his_ wife -had invoked a sort of possessive jealousy within him in the past; Levi had always found it tolerable – well…perhaps not tolerable, but more _dismissible_. Before it had all just been annoying. Watching Oluo's sad and lingering glances, watching his eyes light up_ each_ and _every _time Petra indulged him with conversation, watching the inevitable exchanges that occurred between them from being on the same team, even when Oluo touched her or held her to some extent during training exercises – all fucking _annoying_ and admittedly got under his skin like nothing else could - but Levi had never acted on it because it hadn't _mattered_.

Levi felt that if after all these years Petra_ still_ didn't know about Oluo's feelings for her, that alone spoke for itself and he didn't need to strut about or rub it in his face. It wasn't like he had 'won' her after some competitive match for her affections, and he wasn't so petty as to pretend otherwise. No, if anything he had tried to push her _away_ because at the time he in fact hadn't _wanted_ her, but somewhere along the way Petra had chosen him and stubbornly stuck by his side through it all. It was only a few weeks ago that she had unknowingly confided to him that he was the only man she'd ever want, so he figured that even though Oluo's lingering and sometimes outright lusty glances irritated him, he knew he had nothing to worry about. There was nothing Oluo could ever do that would steal her away from him, except…he had been so, so wrong.

Oluo's actions today _had _almost stolen her away, out of his life – out of _everyone's _lives – for good.

As thoughts of how close he had come to losing her overwhelmed him, knowing that it wasn't by his power at all that she was there in his arms, there was a possessiveness to his actions and he kissed her until his lungs ached and burned within him. His desperation, his passion left Petra at a loss, the Captain's lips pushing and pulling against hers in a way that made her mind spin because she couldn't fathom his overwhelming intensity; couldn't keep up with the brutal storm of passion he was raining down on her. He weaved a hand through her hair, lightly pulling her hair back until she elongated her neck in eventual response to his gentle but persistent pull, being careful in his hold to steer clear of the gash on her head. He ran his other hand down the expanse of her neck, fingertips caressing down her pale skin until he leaned even closer still, placing an open-mouthed kiss over her strong, rapid pulse that confirmed she was still alive.

He sucked on her skin ever so slightly with a predatory stare, and it seemed that he found a sensitive spot as she gave a slight moan; with his lips pressed against her skin, he could _feel_ the whimper in her throat just as strongly as he heard it. Having learned something rather interesting, he smirked against her, nipping at her flesh softly and drawing even more wanton sounds from her, allowing his breath to waft over her until he saw goosebumps crest over her skin from the different sensations he was subjecting her to.

"Levi," she mumbled out between pants, trying to turn her head the right way to actually return his kiss, but she knew full well she couldn't keep up with his passion, and as he brushed his thumb over her collarbone gently, she rolled her head back into her mattress as another whine left her unwittingly, "Dammit Captain, what are you _doing?_ Oluo's…at-" Levi continued kissing her neck, pausing as he watched her roll her chest up against him sensually, the mere sight making his mouth run dry and the sensation of her soft curves pressing into him, pressing against his chest and rubbing against him, caused his blood to race within his veins, "At the door and you're…"

He kissed her with all the more intensity, tasting her lips with his tongue and she moaned directly into his mouth, a welcoming and warm 'Mmm' sound that vibrated against his lips and made him consider moving to the door then and there, telling Oluo to fuck off for a different reason completely, and return back to her side so he could keep testing and toying with her until she was fully, _finally,_ his. While some part of him knew this wasn't the best of times to start testing those boundaries again, the temptation was there, the passion was there, and he was running out of excuses as to why he couldn't be with his _wife_ in such a manner.

For all his resolve and discipline of 'not wanting a relationship with her' – his reasons were all but dust in the wind now because there was no way he _didn't_ want all the good that Petra was to him, and yes, he definitely wanted _all _of it. If anything, today only solidified what he had been denying for so long – that he didn't crave her touch, didn't desire to be her husband in _every_ way – after having almost lost her, he felt as though he had been given one hell of a wakeup call and he intended to make the most of it because Petra was_ his _wife, no one else's, and she had admitted to wanting _him_, so the only thing stopping them now was his pride.

That, and her damned cast.

Petra shifted beneath him invitingly as though having forgotten all about her teammate just outside the door, and this time she gave a sharp gasp - one that wasn't caused by him, one not of pleasure, but of _pain_, because she had attempted to use her broken ankle to move her position on the bed without thinking. While the cast protected her from doing any actual harm to herself, the pressure alone caused an intense wave of pain to shoot up her spine and she whimpered from the fiery, overwhelming sensation that brought both their heated actions to an immediate halt.

Levi was still hovering over her, but now out of concern. He looked her over with critical eyes, and Petra gave a brave, pained laugh as she grimaced with a whimper, "Perhaps now isn't the best time for this, Levi."

He nodded in agreement, their intimate actions already put behind him in favor of her wellbeing, "Your ankle?"

He moved to rest back on the edge of the bed as she sat up just slightly and looked down at her cast with a bitter stare. "Well it hurts like a bitch right now, but it's already back to a throbbing sensation, so I imagine it'll be fine again after a bit."

She exhaled and fell back down across her bed, giving Levi a serious look while she ground her teeth together from the still rather unpleasant pain, "You distracted me on purpose, didn't you?"

He gave an innocent shrug that neither confirmed nor denied her claim, and she groaned, "Captain, he deserves to be able to come in here and see for himself that I'm fine. You know he's been freaking out all day and-"

Levi stood up from her bed and crossed his arms, "Oh, but you're _not_ fine, Petra - Or did you forget that you're going on leave for _months_ because of his actions? Look at you, you call this 'fine'? Not to be a dick, but you look like a fucking stitched up rag doll." Levi paused and gave a bitter stare to the door, "You ask me, he should sweat it out for a few more hours at least. The fact you're so quick to forgive just pisses me off even more."

Petra gave a long sigh, her voice soft but undeniably tired, "Captain, listen_. _I'm not interested in giving him a nervous ulcer because, again, I don't hold it against him. For your information, I _am_ going to let him in here. This is_ my_ room, and what's more, I actually _want_ to see him. He's my teammate, and I _care_ about him, and I know he's worried so I want to do my part to make sure that he knows I'm okay. Do you _understand_ that?"

At her words, Levi stiffened and she watched him_ grind_ his teeth together, and Petra dug her head back into her pillow in frustration, "Levi, okay I'm sorry to play this card, but can we _not _do this right now? I get you're mad but this just isn't the time for it! I broke two bones today, ripped off my skin, I have a miserable concussion, I can't dress or undress myself, and now I'm closer to Hanji in ways that In_ever_ thought possible – can you _please_ just let this go so I can talk to Oluo, let him know that things are alright between us, and get to sleep?" she gave him a pleading look, "Levi, I'm exhausted and in pain. _Please._"

After her long and rather guilt inducing explanation, Levi pressed his lips together and exhaled through his nose in defeat, "…Fine. But I'm not staying. I'll be back in thirty minutes and if he's not gone by then, I'm kicking him out myself. Literally."

Petra pinched her nose and waved a hand toward him dismissively, "Yeah, I got it Captain. Kicking him literally, as in physically assaulting him and not just turn of phrase – so clever. Look, just send him in, okay?"

Levi gave another low exhale and turned his head to the door bitterly, "Oi, Oluo, you get your ass in here. Not that I can see why, but Petra wants to see you, so you better be grateful and not keep her up too long. Door's unlocked."

There was a slight metallic sound that followed as Oluo came into the room, his eyes wide and uncertain as he cracked the door open just slightly, as though not certain what he would see inside, before opening the door more fully and stepping into her room.

As he moved to close the door behind him, Levi cleared his throat loudly, "_That_ stays open. The _whole_ time."

Oluo held both his hands up in wordless surrender, and Levi moved toward him darkly with a foreboding glare settled across his face. As angry as he was with the man, as much as he wanted to pull the man's face straight down into his knee and beat him until he was stumbling and bleeding and saying a slurred mess of apologies and whimpering with begging pleas for mercy, he had to admit that considering Levi knew full well how_ intimidating_ he could be while angry…Oluo was still looking him dead in the eye.

As much as the man got on his nerves, there was a_ reason _that Oluo was also, just as intentionally, on his squad.

He rarely seemed to know the meaning of fear.

Levi came to stand right in front of his subordinate, his voice low enough that Petra wouldn't be able to make out what was being said between them. He looked up at the man firmly, taking a deep breath in attempts to calm his inner tempest that demanded Oluo's blood and suffering. Petra…she wouldn't like it if he hit Oluo now. She'd be furious with him if he got her room messy and coated with random specs of blood. What was more, she wouldn't rest at all because she'd be chewing him out for hours, and that, if only that single fact alone, stilled his hand.

Levi set his jaw and mumbled firmly through clenched teeth, "Petra is _mine_, Oluo. She is _my_ wife."

"I know."

"Yeah? Just see that you don't forget it."

With that he stepped forward, intentionally hitting him firmly with his shoulder as he walked by, satisfied when Oluo stumbled a few steps back with a slight 'oof' and began coughing from the wind being knocked out of him.

He didn't like the idea of Petra intentionally making time for Oluo – that she was defending him or sympathizing with him. Even still, some part of him understood that….Petra was right, of course.

Anger and jealousy, frustrations and accidents and injuries aside - he couldn't allow this to set the squad back. He needed Oluo to remain just as focused, unplagued by guilt or indecision for when it mattered most. Like Erwin had pointed out, Petra was a relationship specialist, and as the Captain of a very broken and hurting squad, broken in ways that impacted him personally, he needed her to work her magic to ensure that Oluo, the other men, and even _himself_ could still preform the way he needed to in the weeks to come.

He knew that, and he trusted Petra to find the right words to soothe everyone's frantic nerves, but even still…

Levi gave a terse exhale as he stormed down the hall, taking a glance over his shoulder to double check that the door remained open in his absence. He would be back alright, thirty minutes on the fucking _dot_.

...

* * *

...

Petra had pushed herself up so she was sitting on the edge of her bed, and as Oluo finally caught a glimpse of her, his eyes lingering over her bruised and stitched arm, the deep scratches that littered the expanse of her limbs, before finally settling on her cast, and his mouth fell open, "Oh my Go- Petra, that – you look…how do you…are you going to be…I can't believe that I-"

Petra found herself chuckling, "Are you going to be _finishing_ any of those sentences, Oluo?"

He took a deep breath and stepped more fully into the room, hesitantly sitting down in the chair Levi had been using previously and giving a long, heavy sigh as he continued to look her over in obvious guilt, "I've been so worried. I am so sorry Petra, honest. You know that I would never-"

Petra gave him a serious look and cut him off, "Oluo, stop. We're soldiers, and yes, it was a mistake that ended up being rather costly, but the truth of it is…I'm _okay_. Bruised and beaten up, admittedly rather miserable and only functioning on a round the clock dosage of pain medicine," Petra gave him an intentional stare and nodded her head seriously for emphasis, "But I'm_ here_. I'm okay."

Oluo gave a nervous, uncertain nod, and a silence fell over the room as Petra watched him in concern. When his attention fell to the floor, as though he were too ashamed to even look at her, Petra nudged his boot with her good leg until he looked back up toward her. She had meant to offer him a kind smile, a wordless confirmation that it really_ was_ okay, but when he slowly looked up and she saw the all-consuming guilt in his eyes - eyes that normally shone with pride and abounding confidence – Petra was surprised at herself when she felt a sort of _anger _wash over her.

Toward _Levi_, none the less.

She was certain that Oluo had already felt miserable enough – she could only imagine how _she_ would feel if her mistake had hurt Eld or someone else - but in spite of that, the Captain had _intentionally _belittled and provoked him with his unneeded and petty behavior. His cruel actions had only made it _worse _for Oluo_,_ and irritating or not…Oluo was her teammate, and she'd slug just about anyone who messed with her teammate's emotions like that.

Petra gave an aggravated sort of growl and shook her head bitterly, "Oluo, you can't let him get to you. Captain was…" she sighed impatiently as she tried to think of an answer, and she gave a sad frown as various thoughts overwhelmed her because even_ she_ didn't know what to make of it all, "_Different _today."

As though knowing exactly what Petra was saying, or perhaps knowing even _better _than Petra just how 'different' Levi was once the wellbeing of his 'wife' had been threatened, he gave a dark sort of smile as he recalled the Captain's words from only a moment ago, "You could say that." Oluo nodded back toward the door, "Petra, I gotta know. Just a little bit ago, was uh, I mean, were you guys…well, you know - _busy_? I wasn't trying to eavesdrop, but I mean, I _was_ right at the door and..."

She gave a mortified sort of mumble, "So you heard that after all, huh? Shoot, I was afraid of that." She gave a shrug and looked into the ground as she spoke softly in admission, "Look we…we've never – I mean, we haven't…" Petra felt embarrassment overwhelm her and she sighed heavily as she struggled to respond, "I don't even know what to say, because there's a lot that he and I haven't talked about; a lot that maybe we aren't even _ready _to talk about, even now. I mean, he's kissed me a handful of times but…nothing serious, you know?"

Oluo listened to her frazzled explanation, frowning at her last sentence as he watched her skeptically, "Seriously Petra? A guy like the _Captain_ is showing interest in you, and you _don't_ think that's serious? I mean, considering the fact that Levi's never been interested in anyone, ever, don't you think that alone means it's getting serious? I know you guys are close, but I thought you both wanted the marriage as more of a farce than the real deal. Has that…changed?"

At his tone and wary glance, Petra shrugged, "Maybe. Yes?" Another sigh, and she shifted indecisively, "I honestly…just don't know. Some days seem normal, and that we have a good understanding about what's acceptable or not, but other days, admittedly like today, make me feel way over my head because it's too damn confusing. I'm sure you don't want to know this, but you asked so it is what it is, but Levi's actually never kissed me like that before. It was overwhelming, and demanding and fearful, and…almost _desperate_. I think he's really shaken up by this, more than you, and even more than me. He's a control freak by nature, and I think some part of him trains the way he does so he_ can_ protect all of us and keep us alive. He said something to that effect to me, but I think he is just beside himself that something like this happened during _training._"

Oluo watched her with an equally troubled expression, and he spoke to her almost grimly, "Petra, are you…Levi I mean – he_ is_ the Captain and I get that you respect him, I mean, we_ all_ do, but sometimes I just get the feeling that its more than that with you. When you watch him, or when you talk with him – that time back in his office where you and him were so in sync, like I wasn't even in the room at all…" Oluo gave a long sigh and shifted across the chair uncomfortably, pausing for a long moment as he struggled to find his words or ask what was bothering him in a somewhat tactful manner, "Like today, you were so adamant that_ he_ help you and so you were out with him all day. You've been out with him, alone with him, for what seems like every moment since the wedding, and I get that you're adamant that it's just for show but, but some days I just…"

Eventually he looked up toward her and gave her an apologetic sort of frown, "Petra, please tell me the truth. Are you – have you fallen in love with him? With Levi? Do you love him?"

Petra's eyes went wide and she found herself shaking her head instantly, a knee jerk reaction as the question took her by complete surprise.

She gave a huff and almost laughed, "Love? I uh, wow. That's certainly a loaded question, Oluo, don't you think?" She tried to think of his question, give it actual thought, and her voice dropped to a mumble as she knew full well that to her squad, well…his question was admittedly justified.

Petra slowly looked up toward the ceiling, "To be honest Oluo, I'm not sure I _can_ answer that question right now. My gut tells me no, that I couldn't ever be so stupid as to fall for my own Commanding Officer, let alone someone like the famed 'Humanity's Strongest' and yet…things have been changing so fast that I'm not sure what I think anymore. I know I care about him, more than I did before the wedding but…_love?_"

She sighed, almost speaking more to herself than her concerned teammate, "I couldn't possibly – I mean, it's only been five months, and it seems half of that time we've done nothing but fight. I couldn't – there's no way that I would ever…"

Petra frowned at her own words that had somehow muddied the question even more, and finally shook her head because there really was no way she would be able to come to a proper answer. Not when her brain was so clouded and medicated and pain made her reflexes dull and lax, "I can say with certainty that I hate seeing him like this; hovering and spooked and so unlike himself; not trusting his own comrades and treating them like foes because he's so on edge and guarded. Even if he won't say it, I will because someone should: You messed up Oluo, but how the Captain treated you today was wrong and he should apologize to you." She paused and looked at Oluo knowingly, "And on that note, I hate seeing_ you_ like this too. You're always so damn overconfident and smug, half the time I want to beat the shit out of you just to wipe that pompous look off your face, but you're so shaken up now that you can't even look me in the eye. I wish you would just accept the fact that accidents happen and move on. What can I do to help cheer you up?"

Oluo gave a sort of empty chuckle, "It's just…Petra I think there's a lot here you don't understand. It _was_ an accident, and I know you aren't angry at me, but even still…Petra I almost_ killed_ you today and you shouldn't write that off so easily. Captain is right to be furious with me because it was stupid and what's more…" He sighed and looked up at her directly, "I care about you." he stated softly with a strangely serious and fierce expression, "So much."

Petra nodded at his words and gave him a kind, heart-breakingly beautiful smile, "Oluo, I know."

He blinked, all but gasping, "You- you know? Then-"

Petra grinned, "Of course I know. We're teammates, and for all of our petty arguments back and forth, you know I care about you too. I care about _all _my teammates. Oluo, you're like a brother to me."

At her words, Oluo gave a sad smile and nodded past the pain that her words had unknowingly brought to him. In truth, he wasn't sure _what_ he had been expecting in attempting to confess to her, but he found that some part of him had to try, at least once, before it was too late. He had watched it day by day, their closeness, their familiarity, how easily the Captain talked or smiled around her. He had watched as Petra favored the Captain's company more and more, until he hardly ever saw his female teammate because she was_ always_ with Levi. He had heard it all the more this afternoon – in her moment of weakness and desperation, it wasn't her 'team' she wanted – hell, it wasn't even 'The Captain' she wanted – she had wanted _Levi_ specifically.

No one else would do.

What was more, he couldn't deny Levi's all-consuming possessiveness of her, his anger and obvious jealousy, his wrath, and the fact that he had just heard the pair, much to his chagrin, moving and shifting intimately on her bed. He had heard Petra whisper_ his_ name with palpable desire, outright moaning because of who _knows_ what they were doing, because of whatever Levi was doing to her, (because apparently the Captain actually _wanted _her now?) and as he stood there awkwardly on the other side of the door, wondering if he was supposed to wait or not….

He knew with certainty that he_ had_ missed his chance.

Oluo knew that his chances with Petra, if he had ever had a shot to begin with, would never measure up to the devotion they already held for each other, and even if they were hesitant or uncertain or whatever they were, he knew full well what the couple apparently _refused_ to admit.

It really was only a matter of time until one or both of them gave in.

Oluo looked toward his long time, secret love, and gave a shake of his head. Petra had found love, even if she hadn't been looking for it, and even if she couldn't see it yet, and as much as it hurt…he supposed he was happy for her.

Oluo sighed and cleared his throat as he stood up from the chair, "You know, I really shouldn't stay too much longer. Captain said that he wanted me gone before he came back and I'm on thin ice as it is. You…you take care of yourself okay? I know you're hurting, so you make sure to get a lot of rest and heal up soon. I really am sorry Petra and…well, I wish that things could have worked out differently."

He was turning toward the door, and Petra waived an arm toward him, "Oluo, Oluo wait come back for a second. Come over here, will you?"

At her request, Oluo stood a little dumbfounded but merely nodded and moved closer toward where she was in question. It was as he neared the edge of her bed, looking at her curiously, that Petra shifted up, balancing on her good leg and suddenly embraced him tightly, her arms wrapping tightly around him in a crushing hug that took him by complete surprise.

He stiffened, almost wondering if it was worth it because if Levi saw this he was certain his life would come to an immediate and painful end right then and there, but as Petra held him against her tightly, half in a hug and half in attempts to keep herself balanced as she stood, Oluo wrapped his arms tightly around her back and allowed himself to relax against her, whispering against her as he spoke and resisting the urge to smell her hair, "You really had me worried today, Petra. I thought you were going to die. I was so scared you were gone."

She nodded against him, "But I'm not. I'll heal up and be as good as new in no time. Please don't lose yourself to guilt Oluo. You're one hell of a soldier and I don't want this to slow you down. Keep focused, and keep pissing everyone off with how much of a damned prick you can be, okay?"

She pulled back and laughed at the warm, goofy expression across his face. He gave a chuckle, "I'll do my best, Petra."

Without asking, Oluo helped her back onto her bed, giving her his arm as she carefully sank back into the mattress fearfully, clearly having difficulty staying balanced as she lowered herself onto the bed with a note of obvious concern and caution. He stayed just long enough to make sure she was settled, and after asking if she was sure there wasn't anything he could do for her before the Captain came back, Oluo took his leave, feeling only a slight and hollow sting of rejection, but admittedly…

It was okay.

Petra had made her choice and while it was some other man…

It was okay.

…

* * *

End of Chapter

* * *

…

Is anyone else just…crying? Or is that just me? This chapter really gets me every time. Like. Every freaking time. There's just something about unrequited, sincere love that just makes my heart hurt. Of course I am an obvious fan of Levi and Petra (hopefully you've figured that out by now lol) but that doesn't mean I am ANTI Oluo by any means. This chapter breaks my heart for him, because finding out the person you care about…has NO interest or even sheer _awareness_ of your feelings is…wow. That's rough. Faking a smile because it's what's best for_ them_, so then you're left to shoulder the pain of your true, ardent feelings _alone_? Yeah. My heart guys :C

So more information yall may or may not be interested in, but WAY back in the day, I never really thought that Oluo's feelings for Petra would ever make a REAL 'written out' appearance in this story. Oh sure it would be there in the background for my readers who squinted and were watching for it (as are other secrets, for my squinty readers!), but it was just when the story is narrated through Petra's perspective, who is unaware of Oluo's feelings so logically would not be providing any dialogue that would speak to it – and then Levi's perspective, where Levi is aware, but just doesn't _care_ so very much like Petra, Levi wouldn't be taking the time to put in any mental dialogue regarding Oluo's feelings – it just didn't seem realistic to write such a thing in. However, when this arc began writing itself and Levi became insanely angry after the accident; suddenly over protective and jealous because he_ was_ aware of Oluo's feelings, it created a plot need where Oluo really needed to be spotlighted throughout previous chapters to help justify and explain Levi's sudden and intense jealousy here. So for those who have enjoyed Oluo's moments in the past, yeah. Intentional to be sure, and my heart is completely crushed as a result.

I was dreading writing this chapter back in the day – the day where Oluo officially has that realization moment where he asks in literal _mid-heartbreak_ if Petra is actually in love with Levi, and she realizes that while she can't fully commit to a 'yes' because there's just so much left unsaid between them – she can't really give a solid 'No' either and Oluo knows full well that whatever IS between Petra and Levi – it painfully clarifies the fact that there is no place in her heart left for him, because she just wants Levi.

Gah. My heart :CC


	44. The One Where They Start Testing

GUYS.

It is exactly 5.23 my time – January 19th – meaning that the Chiefs JUST won the game and we will officially be going to Superbowl 54. According to my quick little google search, we haven't gone to the Superbowl since 1969, so that's fifty years yall. I am beyond, beyond, beyond excited. So for all those who wished us luck, bless you. It's crazy that at the start of this season, yall got to sit by and tolerate my football excitement, and who could have predicted way back then that this year would be the literal year? (Especially with the Mahomes injury!)

I'll wrap it up on this end, because I've got a pretty long author's note at the end. Thought I'd give you the heads up, but fear not, no drama or bad news that you need to worry about. Just more of my mental musings that I wanted to share for those who enjoy the food for thought. Thanks guys!

...

* * *

...

"Wow." Petra looked at the page in front of her, before looking back up into the forest canopy as a sort of blur – Levi – passed through the trees from far above her, completing yet another lap around the circuit they had created in attempts to test out her latest theory, this lap's time somehow even faster than the previous.

While the day was going smoothly enough and Levi was actually being (surprisingly)_ helpful _in getting their required data, admittedly it _had_ taken some time to get there. While Petra had slept through the night without issue, a sort of repetitive, low whimper had caused her to stir that following morning, and it was only upon waking that she realized the noise was actually coming from _herself _directly. Unfortunately, her sudden waking was soon the least of her worries as her consciousness brought an instant awareness of the sharp, ever present pain that she had apparently felt even within the deep confines of her dreamless sleep. She had bitten back a cry and dug her head further into her pillow, as her sleep fogged mind was far from prepared to gracefully handle such an onslaught of pain, though at her conscious response to the pain, there was a hand on her shoulder that had caused her to jolt and open her eyes in question.

Of course it had only been Levi – she had almost forgotten that he had technically stayed the night in her room with her. She assumed he had just slept in the chair he had been stationed at earlier, however she couldn't be too sure because she hadn't remembered him ever coming back to her room; after Oluo had left she must have fallen asleep almost immediately as she didn't even remember the Captain's return.

Levi watched her seriously, already holding a cup of water and her pain medicine. She had turned her head away at first, confirming again that she didn't want to trouble him, that she didn't want to say or do anything that would embarrass her and she'd rather just tough it out, but before she could even finish her explanation, Levi had grabbed her jaw tightly, confirming with an irritated scowl that it was too fucking early for her to bitch about _anything_, and if she didn't take the medicine willingly, he'd shove it down her throat then and there and if she choked to death then it was her own damn fault.

Levi had always been rather grouchy in the mornings, and Petra gave a mournful sigh as the pressure on her jaw wasn't letting up in the slightest. She begrudgingly allowed him to help her sit up slightly so she could take the medicine, and as she swallowed down the water, Levi watched her seriously and reminded her that he would be there to keep her in check, so there was nothing to worry about.

Getting dressed had been rather interesting. She had managed to undress and get a fresh pair of bottoms and loose pants on from the privacy of her closet, however from under the confines of her night shirt, her bindings had moved in the night and she knew she'd need to properly rewrap it to keep her rib set in its proper place.

She had managed to unwind it properly, but with her stitches and her subsequently rather stiff body, she couldn't properly twist to one side or move her arms properly to rewrap the bandages alone. She had tried twisting her arms every which way, but to no avail.

She eventually sighed in defeat.

"Hey uh, Levi uh…" she trailed off, finding she wasn't sure what she even wanted. Did she want_ him_ to help her? Did she want him to fetch someone else perhaps? Hanji was technically an option, but Petra didn't want to make her injuries Hanji's unofficial, redundant problem. A favor was one thing, but to expect or demand round the clock attention was unfair because Hanji had her own work to see to that didn't involve getting her dressed and undressed each day. What was more, she really didn't want to just stand around half naked for who knows how long while the Captain went to find her because she had already exposed herself to Hanji more than she would have preferred.

She supposed she could have Eld come in – she trusted Eld and knew he wouldn't make it weird for her because all she really needed was just someone to stand behind her and wind the fabric back around for her to grab – but if she was going to have someone from the squad help her, Levi _was _right there and…

And yet simply _because_ it was Levi, Petra found herself hesitating.

Levi….she already trusted him with _so_ much; her life, her future, the secrets of her past, her fears and her failures – and she found that this, her body, her physical weakness and vulnerability – was an area she wanted to keep for herself, something that was still completely hers and untouched by the Captain's influence in her life.

Between someone else, like Eld, the task would in fact be simple – meaningless and perfectly black and white – sure he would tease her a little but they'd move on and it would be forgotten about easily…but between her and Levi, where the sparks had been flying so adamantly, where the lines were so blurred and so uncertain, such a task was just….

Well, just so…_intimate_ and exposing. She would be asking him to do what she_ couldn't_ do for herself, completely vulnerable and at his mercy while his hands would ghost over her skin and sides, playing his role in wrapping her bindings even though something so much deeper would be at play; something they would both be well aware of. She would be so defenseless, so completely in his hands and unable to do the simplest of things for herself, dependent on him yet again because this wasn't the first time she had been forced to turn to him at such an occasion. Could she relinquish even that last bit of control? The one sacred thing that was hers and hers alone…

Petra gave a long sigh, trying to bolster her courage and ignore the nervous churning in her stomach because the answer was painfully obvious. Of course she did. Even if she didn't want to, she still did, because he was Levi and she supposed to some extent, she simply couldn't help it. Even still, it didn't help the anxiety building in her throat, or her heart pounding wildly within her chest as she forced herself to call out to him.

"Levi, I uh, I need…your help." She allowed the truth of the words to settle fully in her mind, and she continued, "The bindings for my ribs and chest, I need to rewrap them but considering I can't really twist my torso, I can't get the fabric around my back and what's more, I can't get the pressure right so...Would you maybe, you know…come in here for a second? If that's okay with you, I mean. If not then I can uh, well maybe…"

There was a long silence that blanketed the area, though after a moment there was a shifting and creaking of the chair in her room, "Alright." The sound of footsteps could be heard, and his voice was now at the edge of her closet doorway, "Is it okay if I come in?"

She had her back toward the closet entrance, and she gave a nod that he wouldn't see, "Yeah, that's fine."

She turned over her shoulder just slightly, keeping her chest forward and out of sight, just able to meet his gaze as he joined her in the small space. She watched as his eyes trailed over her back, his gaze seeming to linger on her side where she had received a majority of her stitches, and she shifted uncomfortably as a silence fell between them at the weight of his stare, "Uh, I probably look terrible huh?" she found she was already crossing her arms over her chest, a result of how uncomfortable she was under his direct stare while she was in such a compromised state, "But I uh, I'll heal up and maybe with any luck I won't-"

Levi was still looking over her injuries, his eyes tracing over the swollen, purple bruises that marred her back, the heavy deep scratches that looked jagged and painful across her entire body, not to mention the vast amount of stitches that decorated her side, but as he heard her words, almost absentmindedly his eyes narrowed, "Wha – Petra, the hell are you saying? Even with all this you're _still_ fucking beautiful."

Petra blinked, because…it was _rare_ that Levi said such things to her. If it weren't for his kiss, the way he pulled her so wantonly against him, the way his breathing fell out of sync when he touched her, she would have never known he found her attractive at all. To date, this was only the third, maybe forth time she had ever heard him say such things, and it was due to this rarity that like before, his words pulled the breath from her lungs in sheer surprise and she found she didn't know _what _to say.

As if only now realizing what he had said in his focused stupor, Levi cleared his throat, nodding toward her back intentionally in attempts to change the conversation because perhaps he had said a little too much, "Let's get you wrapped up. I don't want that rib to shift out of place, and trust me when I say that _you_ don't either. I may or may not have had a similar injury in the past, and let me just say that having to get a rib put back in place after it's popped out is pretty fucking intense."

Petra nodded, placing one end of the fabric at her side, right over her ribs and nearing the edge of her bustline. She took a deep breath, "Alright Captain, if you will-" she motioned with her head and tried to fight the blush that was warming her face, "Put one hand here, and hold the fabric in place so I can get it started? I'll wrap it around my front, and hand it back to you if that works for you. I'll let you know if it's too tight and all; I just can't twist or get the right angle so-"

As she spoke, she felt Levi take a step closer toward her, standing just behind her as his palm came to rest lightly, yet somehow _confidently, _over her side. Though his fingers were wrapped so lightly around her ribs, mere centimeters away from the planes of her very bare breasts – a fact she knew he was _well _aware of – he was diligent and remained focused as she wound the fabric around her front, handing the bandage to him again and repeating the process as she worked with him to wrap her chest as the nurse had shown her before. It had taken a few minutes, and as they worked, hardly a word was exchanged between them more than a simple, 'Not too tight?' or 'No, that's fine, Captain.'

Eventually, the opposite tail end of the fabric was handed back to her, and Petra gave a quiet 'Thanks' and tied the end purposefully so that it would not unravel later. From behind her, Levi spoke softly, "There. Will that work for you? I trust you can take care of the rest."

She gave a simple nod, and there was a light exhale from behind her.

"Okay. I'm going to go and talk to the guys for a bit; remind them that I'll be with you and Four Eyes all day. I'll be back in a few minutes."

When he walked away, his hand ghosted down the bare skin of her side – the side that was not bruised and patched together with stitches – his touch light and gentle, the pad of his thumb drawing light circles down her skin as he traced down her side and lightly caressed the edges of her stomach and hips.

The simple action caused goosebumps to crest over her skin, and before she even knew what she was doing, Petra found she was turning around, mindlessly twisting to watch him leave – curious as to what his expression was and questioning if the electric spark that his featherlight caress caused was unique to just her or not – however her body retaliated her attempts quickly and she paused midmotion, gasping in pain as her skin stretched and burned at once.

From somewhere behind her, she heard a distinctly amused, 'Hmph' from Levi, and a moment later, the sound of the door closing behind him could be heard.

Petra had wasted no time in selecting an additional, compression style shirt, wanting to keep her bindings and stitches in place as best possible, fearing that loose fitting clothes would have an easier time getting caught or snagged on something and wanting to avoid her stitches being pulled or subsequently ripped if at all possible.

When Levi had returned, he had taken her to the bathroom so she could brush her teeth, comb out her hair and at least _pretend_ that she had a semblance of some independence. Luckily the bathroom was also small enough that she could grab onto the counters or sink to help her move across the area, and she felt lucky in that there was at least one more room in the compound she didn't need too much assistance with.

Once she felt properly prepared for the day, they had gone to find Hanji, who confirmed that Erwin was more than on board with Petra's most recent theory, and even went as far as to have some Scouts set an appropriate testing arena for the Captain earlier that same day. By the time they had gotten out to the area and it was time for Levi to be brought up to speed on what Petra had come up with, something he was rather looking forward to considering both Hanji and Erwin already knew so he was subsequently the last to know, Hanji was stubbornly insistent that he be kept in the dark, because she didn't want him knowing and inadvertently adjust his performance to either prove or disprove Petra's hypothesis by mistake.

While Petra had promised him that she would come clean about her theory to Levi, she knew at once that Hanji was right. His knowledge of what was being tested could very likely skew the results, and they didn't have the time to find a new, fitting test subject that could get them such clear results so quickly.

Instead of telling him the theory, Hanji confirmed that for their experiment, all _he_ needed to do was complete a lap around the arena in whatever way that looked like to him. They would track his time, and then after a completed lap, he would need to return to the forest floor and get a fresh tank of gas before returning back and doing it all over again. While he was doing that, they would keep track of 'trends' (whatever that meant) as well as weigh out the remaining gas in the canisters after each lap was completed, to see how much gas had been utilized during the exercise.

While Levi was irritated that he _still _had no idea what was going on, he supposed he couldn't complain too much after finding out that the task at hand was merely a sort of obstacle course that weaved through a large section of the training grounds and not blood draws and uncomfortable tests. The instructions were admittedly vague, but he knew full well that was the point. _Whatever _variable they were searching for, they were clearly leaving it up to some variance of his personal interpretation. There were markers that helped him know where to go, times to dip down to the forest floor, times to jet up toward the canopy, times where the markings were so far ahead he could try a number of ways to get there successfully, times to kill a Titan, and finally, the finish line.

He had gone through the arena the first few times cautiously, learning the course and getting a feel for the bends and changes of direction, and once he was comfortable that there really _wasn't _anything else planned – he could never be too certain with Four Eyes – he had fully focused on the task and _really_ gave it his complete effort. The change in his numbers and performance had certainly not been subtle, either. While his numbers before had looked great and Petra wouldn't have even known he was holding back, she outright gaped at the resulting ties when he finished the next lap because the contrast was so sharp.

Even still, as amazed as she was, Petra was careful to keep her reactions to herself by the time that Levi came back down to the forest floor, because like Hanji had pointed out, they couldn't risk his knowledge of whether he was preforming 'well' or not to impact his numbers, and subsequently, their results. When he returned to the forest floor near them, Petra would give a vague nod, thank him politely, and remind him to switch out gas tanks so they could prepare for the next lap. Of course, when he was up in the air, far out of earshot and too focused to watch her, she felt more free to speak her mind.

Petra watched him fly through the arena and recorded the numbers dutifully as Levi passed the ending checkpoint, marveling again at the numbers in stupefied amazement. She knew he was exhausted; she knew full well that had it been _her_, she would have bottomed out hours ago, yet even still, he was still preforming just as strongly, even though they had been at it for hours now, having Levi repeat the same sequence endlessly to have a much-needed baseline of data to start with.

Petra continued writing the resulting numbers across the page, shaking her head and speaking her thoughts out loud, "He's _amazing_. His speed, his stamina - it doesn't matter how many times he's done it now, he always leaves me…speechless."

From beside her, Hanji looked toward her with a suspicious, almost concerned frown, "Well that's good to hear I guess, but…I thought you guys _hadn't_-"

Petra returned her questioning stare, looking up from her papers towards the Scientist in confusion.

What was Hanji talking about? They hadn't what?

Petra replayed her own words in her head, because she was obviously talking about Levi's incredible numbers, so Hanji's question was-

Realizing all too late what she had said, and more importantly how Hanji had_ taken _her words, Petra's mouth fell open, "Oh _gods_ Hanji, no! I wasn't…I wasn't meaning _that_, I was-" she put her head in her hands and groaned, looking back up toward the now wide eyed scientist with horrified irritation, "And even if we_ had_ in the past, what makes you think I'd tell those details to _you?_"

Hanji blinked and shrugged, "Oh, that? Well I didn't think you ever_ would_ talk to me about those things, but Levi gave me the heads up that your medicine makes you a little distracted, _especially_ in regards towards him. He made it a point to tell me that I shouldn't hold it against you or make you feel uncomfortable because it wasn't your fault."

The ginger's eyes narrowed, because the Captain's oh so 'helpful' tipping her off had only made it worse in the end. "Well it's too late for that; I'm _already_ uncomfortable! I'll have you know that I was talking about the Captain's _performance._"

Hanji quirked an eyebrow and nodded shallowly, still taking her words to have a more suggestive undertone, and Petra's eyes narrowed in further embarrassment and outrage, "With the 3DM gear!"

At her 'clarification', Hanji made a face and blinked in outright surprise, mumbling as a blush rose to her face, "Wow uh, Petra I don't mean to say what you guys can and can't do, but the 3DM gear_ is _military property and it really shouldn't be-"

Petra gaped, all but wailing at the insinuation, "No! What the…_how_ would we even – Look, just get…get your mind out of the gutter, will you? I am_ not_ talking about that! Yes, I'm sure that he's fantastic, and I'll bet he knows what he's doing and that it would be amazing and mind-blowing but for the_ last _time Hanji, Levi and I have not-"

She gave an exhale as Hanji watched her in wonder – obviously unconvinced and still visibly blushing - and Petra rubbed her suddenly throbbing temples, wishing to put the unwanted subject behind her because now was_ not_ the time, "Look, if it gets you off my back, then fine. Yes, he's distracting to me, and sure, perhaps watching him does make me wonder, and even if I _have_ thought about what it might be like if we were to mess around a little here and there, that's honestly-"

From behind her, a low voice could be heard, "Ah fuck, sounds like the medicine is taking its toll already – that was sooner than I had anticipated."

Hearing Levi's voice from behind her, Petra's voice cracked midsentence as she felt blood start to rush to her face all the more. What the – when had he gotten there?! Before she could even attempt to respond or even turn around, Hanji spoke up and shrugged, watching as Levi took a collecting breath and sheathed his blades, "Yeah. I know you warned me, but I guess I wasn't expecting this. One second she was writing down the numbers, and the next – well I mean, _you_ heard her. Certainly surprised _me_; it's just so unlike her. You really weren't kidding!"

Petra turned around toward Levi in a snap, wanting to clarify and defend herself because _Hanji _had misread everything- but missing her chance as Levi sighed passively, continuing to speak about her as though she weren't even present, "I see. Well thanks for keeping an eye on her. I'm sure it wasn't easy, but I appreciate it." He looked back toward Petra next and shook his head reprovingly, "Petra. I get that the medicine hits you hard, but you've got to be more disciplined. At least _try _to keep focused; I'm not doing all of this for shits and giggles, so you need to take this seriously."

Petra gaped and attempted to find her words at his correction, "Captain, I'm_ trying_ but-" she pressed her lips together, looking between Levi and Hanji in exasperation because she wasn't being listened to and they had the completely wrong idea, "Seriously, I think you're both misunderstanding what you heard. When I was talking earlier, it wasn't…it was all just an honest compliment! What's with all the suspicion and assumptions? Honestly Captain, one would think you'd be _happy_ that I have such overwhelming praise for what you can do with your body!"

Petra again heard herself all too late, finding that perhaps the medicine_ was _getting to her, because she wasn't as proficient in speaking her mind as she would have liked, and she defensively held up a hand once Levi's eyes narrowed suspiciously, "Uh, wait, that came out wrong. In that context it…Well I uh, that is to say…fuck."

Levi merely looked past her again and gave a curt nod toward Hanji, "Oi Four Eyes, let's take a break. I promised Petra that I'd keep her in line once she got like this, so let's give her some time to come down a little, before she starts outright groping me again. What's more, I myself could use the break. I'm fucking exhausted and if you two sadists plan to keep this up, I'm going to need some time to recover because at this point I'm running on empty."

Hanji gave a nod, "That may not be such a bad idea. Want to give it until after lunch and we'll rendezvous?"

Levi nodded simply as Hanji began gathering the various folders and papers they had been utilizing, "That's fine." He turned his attention back toward where Petra was seated and crossed his arms, "Alright listen up, we're going back to the compound. I can carry you, but keep your wandering hands to themselves."

Petra groaned and rolled her eyes bitterly, knowing that she would never successfully convince him that Hanji really had gotten the wrong idea from the start. She looked up toward him and held up her hands in surrender, "Oh don't worry Captain, that won't be a problem."

He nodded simply and picked her up, choosing to carry her bridal style as that seemed to be his preferred method of transporting her. Admittedly feeling self-conscious, as she could only imagine what thoughts were running through his head after hearing her previous words, Petra sighed, "How soon until those crutches come in? All do respect Captain, but being carried around like this is demeaning."

"Three days." He responded simply, "Usually they have some on hand, but you're such a damned small fry that they had to special order a set to accommodate your scrawny ass."

Regardless his obvious smug teasing, Petra gave him an equally smug stare in return and watched him with a smirk, "Is that so? Well look on the bright side Captain, if you ever get hurt then you can just use mine; no backorder needed! How fortunate that you and I are almost the same height – so strange for a male your age though, I'm short for even a girl!"

His eyes narrowed and he rolled his eyes, though said nothing and kept moving toward the Compound with a sullen expression. When the conversation didn't pick up further, Petra allowed the silence to continue and she tried to think of what the next few days would bring in attempts to keep her mental schedule somewhat organized. She didn't have any follow up doctor appointments for the rest of the week, and while she knew full well that she would still be needing the pain medicine for the time being (as much as she detested it) with any luck she would be able to wean herself off from it in just a few more days' time and make due with more basic anti-inflammatories.

In terms of Levi's assistance with the numbers, they already had an impressive amount of data collected. They would likely have Levi run the arena for another hour or so, assuming he could manage it, and then she and Hanji would likely spend the night digging through the numbers to create some variance of averages – see what his times were most consistently, how much gas he traditionally used for each lap, and then track the outliers before planning up a more tailored plan for tomorrow – where they would finally put the data to the test and actually begin the process of_ testing_ her theory out.

Admittedly, she was a little nervous because now that both Erwin and Hanji were involved – and to some extent Levi as well – she felt an even greater need to succeed than ever before. She would feel so terrible if after all this time, after all her efforts, after promising Levi that she was indeed done with it, _breaking_ her promise and diving right back into it, she prayed that_ something _came from it all in the end. She didn't want to waste their time, didn't want to embarrass Levi with her repetitive failures, and above all, wanted so desperately to give her fellow Scouts actual hope for the missions ahead.

Taking her back from her thoughts, Levi opened the door to her room and set her down on the ground as he turned back to shut the door behind him. Petra gave a yawn as she stood on her one good leg cautiously, carefully pulling her arms above her head and stretching slightly, or at least as much as she could stretch until her skin began to itch and burn from all around her. As she looked toward Levi, about to ask him if he planned on grabbing lunch or heading to his office or what she should expect, he suddenly turned toward her with a very determined, serious expression.

Before Petra could even get out a single word, Levi had taken an intentional step toward her with a sudden bout of intensity, grabbing her by the hips and pulling her up into the air in a smooth motion. Her hands were instantly on his shoulders in a knee jerk reaction to being lifted off the ground, and Levi pushed her back into the wall and leaned into her as he suddenly pressed his lips against hers fiercely; the angle he was holding her at being so far off the ground that she could only wrap her legs around his hips in attempts to anchor herself, eyes wide at the sudden change of pace between them and the rather _intimate_ position she found herself in. It was confounding because just a moment ago they had been giving _her_ grief about being unfocused, and now ten seconds later Levi was kissing her so fiercely that it was actually _intimidating._

Though his hands remained on her hips to ensure that she didn't fall or hurt herself, he angled his head up purposefully, nipping at her jaw line until she gasped and lengthened her neck for him, dropping her head back against the wall from sheer surprise as Levi began kissing her neck, sucking on her skin and making her mind blank because it was so sudden and what was more, she had _no_ idea what was going on.

It was when he bit down on her skin, the action admittedly pleasurable but still so unexpected and _intense,_ that Petra tried to look at him with questioning eyes, breathing heavily from a mix of alarm and question because in all their time together, he had never taken this sort of approach and it left her a little more than confused. "Levi – Levi what are you, what _are_ you doing?" she brought a hand between them and pushed out on his chest to put a little distance between them, giving him a questioning stare because while she wasn't saying that there always needed to be a reason or 'moment', or that he shouldn't be able to kiss her if that was what he wanted, she felt there had to be some middle ground because this was entirely overwhelming.

The way Levi watched her as she lightly pushed him away was one of all out irritation, and he grabbed her wrist and pushed her arm against the backwall with a scowl, "_Helping_ you." he seethed lowly, again kissing her with all the more passion as he stole the breath out of her lungs with his demanding presence and confidence.

Petra wasn't sure what he had meant, and as Levi continued to kiss her so commandingly, his lips precise and warm over her skin, that some part of her mind wanted to give up asking at all, because who _cares _why if it meant he kept kissing her like that, and yet some relatively sane part of her was even more confused and _still_ at a loss regarding what the hell he was up to. She turned her head to one side, an action which caused Levi to give a low growl at her stubborn persistence, and Petra watched him in concern, "Helping me _how?_"

Levi ran the tip of his nose down her cheek, settling near her ear and earning a gasp from her as he lightly, teasingly, ran his lips and tongue over the shell of her ear, speaking as he did so, "_This._ I need you at your best Petra; we all do. I know how much figuring out the shortage means to you, and I can't have you getting…_distracted_."

At his words, he bit down on her earlobe before sucking on the skin ever so gently, and Petra exhaled as her eyes fluttered shut and a sort of quiet whimper left her lips, "So if this sort of attention from me helps you get it out of your system," he nipped at her skin again, smirking as he felt some of the tension leave her body in a breathless sigh, "Then it is what it is, and we may as well have some fun with it."

Though her mind had been previously clouded from the amazing way his lips felt against her skin, the way his chest was so securely pressing her back into the wall, Petra felt her blood suddenly run cold at his words and she opened her eyes fully, attempting to use the arm that Levi still had trapped against the wall, though after a few solid tugs where Levi's smirk merely widened and he held her wrist with all the more force, Petra rolled her eyes and used her other free hand to push him back.

She watched him narrowly, a suspicious sort of embarrassment churning in her stomach because with what he had just said…did he_ still_ think that... "Wait wait, so you mean to tell me that all of this is because of _me_? You really think that…"

Not sure if she felt more embarrassed, or angry, or if it was the funniest thing in the world that Levi's solution to the problem was to press her against the wall and make out with her until she 'got it out of her system' – she held her free hand against his chest, somewhat locking her wrist to keep him at a more safe distance as she looked at him in sudden outrage, "Levi, this _isn't_ helping!"

At her words and obvious irritation, Levi found his_ own_ irritation beginning to rise, but more than that, he was admittedly a bit confused as to what she wanted, because he was _trying_ damnit, but he wasn't quite sure how to go about satisfying a heavily medicated, easily distracted Petra that seemed to have a rather one track mind when it came to him, to such an extent that Petra had begun saying fucking who _knows_ what to Hanji. Whatever it was, he knew it had to be_ bad_ if it made even_ Hanji_ blush like that.

Even still, medicated or not, frustrated or not, there was a lot riding on the success of her predictions, and he figured that if he attempted to placate her, kiss her until she was breathless and satisfy that sort of desperation so there would be one less thing on her mind to distract her from the task at hand, it would make it better for everyone in the long run – but with the way she was watching him now, it was obvious he was missing the mark.

He exhaled in aggravation, knowing that if he had to get creative or do whatever was necessary, he couldn't back down until Petra was at least _somewhat_ properly functioning again. He looked toward her pointedly, "Fuck, okay, so what do you…Oh, right."

Realizing now where he had gone wrong, Levi released Petra's arm to which she gave a relieved 'Thank you.' and he gave a nod of understanding, pleased to hear her encouragement and with a restored sense of confidence, began to unbutton his shirt intentionally.

As Petra watched this, watched him start to undress right in front of her, it was painfully clear to her that he_ still_ wasn't getting it, and Petra's mouth dropped open and she all but shrieked as a mortified blush came to her face, "Levi, no! What, how the hell – like that's going to help _anything_?!"

Levi's mouth dropped open for a moment and he looked at her like she was insane, because _was she being serious?_ She was fucking _impossible!_ His shirt was hanging open loosely on his chest, which had seemed to do the trick yesterday, and he looked down at himself, then up at her belligerently because she couldn't _possibly_ mean - he gave a huff of an exhale, frustrated all the more by her sharp demands, "Look woman, what the fuck do you want from me? I _can't_ take my pants off with your legs wrapped around me like this and what's more, I'm _standing_ _up_ and holding you in the air so you're just going to-"

Petra outright deadpanned at his words, both of them giving a simultaneous groan at the other's clear frustration, Levi believing Petra to be_ angry_ at his rejection, and Petra livid because, the moron that he was, Levi _still _wasn't getting it, and now his _pants_ were apparently subject to being removed next? And on _her_ account, apparently?

Petra felt a vein pop in her forehead from sheer embarrassment, because with how he was speaking, it was clear that he was still under the impression that she was obviously just _so _desperate for him, and apparently had such little class that she was demanding he strip down as some way to appease her wandering mind.

Petra exhaled stiffly and grabbed both sides of his face with her hands, outright glaring at him as he watched her in barely restrained exasperation, "Levi. Fucking. Listen. To. Me." She hissed lowly, and Levi gave a tense exhale, but finally stopped attempting to undress himself and returned her stare irritably as she continued, "Petra Ral, Petra Ackerman, Petra whoever the fuck you want to address me as, is the one speaking right now. _Not _high as a kite Petra, but just me, your subordinate and the one who is ready to outright _kick your ass_ because you're being gross and infuriating. Now as attractive as you are, _please_ put your fucking clothes back on because you've gone from super alarming, to super hot, to super creepy, to now just super pathetic."

Hearing her words, Levi's eyebrows drew together in confusion, but slowly, his expression morphed into a sort of alarm, as if only now realizing that maybe he _had_ gotten the wrong idea, and Petra rolled her eyes bitterly at his stupefied, silent horror, "Believe it or not, but when Hanji and I were talking earlier, I was _not_ talking about sex, or you, or thinking about you in some kinky, perverted way. Sorry to burst your bubble Captain, but I am not so desperate that I need you to, what, come slam me into a wall to just barely get me through the day because I just want you oh so bad?" She actually found herself chuckling at the idea, and Levi's expression morphed again into a frown, realizing that yes indeed, Petra was, of course, laughing at him.

He watched her suspiciously, as though almost afraid to ask because if what she was saying was true, he was being a total, complete asshole, "So…you mean you _aren't_-"

"Horny?" Petra spat out venomously, and Levi blinked at her rather direct response as Petra shook her head scathingly – somewhat suspicious that maybe she _wasn't_ as put together as she seemed to think, but kept his suspicion to himself because this wasn't the time to debate with her just how sane she was or wasn't. She looked as though she were ready to outright _castrate_ him, and if she wasn't angry enough, she was certainly_ embarrassed_ enough, and he didn't want to push her any further to find out just how accurate his assumption was.

Petra took a collecting breath and shook her head, "Like I tried to tell you from the start, you've got it all wrong. What _you _overheard was in direct response to Hanji's incorrect assumptions and the whole thing got blown out of proportion because you both _assumed_ that I was a lost cause." Petra held her head up indignantly and cleared her throat, "Now, considering that you've degraded me quite enough for one day, I'd appreciate it if you could put me down and button up because medicine or not, you walking around with your shirt hanging open like that would cause anyone to raise their eyebrows."

At her reproving speech, Levi gave a single nod and set her down without further argument. Seeing the red hue that colored the base of his neck and shoulders, Petra realized that she had embarrassed him in return, and she exhaled and brought a hand to her face as she watched him button his shirt back up in a flustered, embarrassed manner.

She pressed the hair out of her face and looked at him directly as he worked his fingers around to button his collar. She balanced on her foot and slowly leaned toward him, feeling him stiffen in response as she wrapped her arms around his torso.

She gave a sigh, "Look Captain, I don't want to dwell on it. Just forget about it, okay? And honestly, if I'm being completely straightforward, I think the medicine_ is _starting to take it's toll, if it hasn't been already, because my head's all floaty again. If it's all the same with you, I think I'd prefer to sleep it off. For one, it's hard to cross any lines while I'm sleeping, and what's more, I'm pretty sure it helps me sleep like a rock and I kind of need it. As much as I'd like to pretend I'm fine, I'm really stiff, my leg is killing me, my side is burning and I'm completely _exhausted_. Is there even enough time? I don't want to put anyone behind or anything, I can put my responsibilities first."

Levi allowed himself to relax as well, more than happy to put their previous misunderstanding behind them, because looking back, he felt like an absolute dick. His arms wrapped around her, coming to settle over her hips as he spoke lightly, "This is your theory, neither Erwin or Four Eyes plan to take it from you, and they understand that you will be out of sorts for a while. The fact you are doing this _at all_ in your condition speaks volumes, so if you need to take an extra hour or so to rest up, then they can wait."

He paused for a moment and spoke, "And if you're still on the fence, I really wasn't kidding that I myself need the downtime as well. If you guys want me to be able to keep doing laps, then I need to eat and take some time to recoup or I'm going to bottom out and you can kiss getting any further data goodbye. I'll go ahead and grab lunch for the both of us so you can stay here and rest. I assume you'll be asleep by the time I get back, so whenever you wake up, make sure to eat and we'll pick up from there."

Petra agreed with a single nod into his shoulder, and without feeling the need to give her any warning, Levi picked her up simply and carried her over toward her bed, setting her down and assisting her as she attempted to get comfortable across the surface of her bed. She gave him a gentle smile as he set her blankets out around her, "You know Captain, I was thinking…you're actually kinda cute when you blush like that. It makes you look maybe…perhaps a little gorgeous."

He gave her a long, appraising stare, "Yeah, I gotta agree, I think your medicine is starting to kick in for real this time."

Petra gave an innocent shrug, "Maybe. Or maybe I just like watching you blush. Afterall, it's usually me in the hotspot and it's nice to see that I can actually take you by surprise from time to time. You're kinda a difficult guy to read, Levi."

He gave an unconvinced nod and stood up in preparation to leave, "Perhaps that's true, but we both know that you normally don't have the balls to say things like this out loud."

Petra gave a shrug again, and Levi didn't miss it when her eyes trailed down his body before she gave a coy smile, "Oh, don't have the balls, do I? Well…I guess that makes _one_ of us then, right Captain?"

Levi chuckled at her words and pointed glance, now absolutely certain that _his_ Petra was officially gone, and the more crass, shameless Petra was here to stay. He brushed her bangs to one side of her face and nodded simply, "Yeah, yeah. Get some rest Petra. I'll be back later."

With that, he walked out and closed the door behind himself, finding that there was an amused grin still across his face. While he knew that Petra would in fact fall asleep without issue, he couldn't help but feel a small sort of hope that maybe she _would_ still be awake when he returned, just so he could be there to catch more glimpses of her true thoughts towards him without her normal filter holding her back.

As shocking as her alternative personality seemed to be, at the absolute least, he couldn't deny that her words were endlessly entertaining because even Petra, even innocent and perfect Petra – well, it seemed she wasn't as innocent as she pretended to be.

…

* * *

End of Chapter

* * *

…

Hey so I wanted to make a note here, as I like to do sometimes, regarding my inspiration for a certain beloved Captain. Both this chapter and the last chapter really highlights some of those…_not _so great Levi qualities and I wanted to give a head nod and not per say defend Levi's character, but perhaps explain my_ interpretation_ of him and point to certain behaviors that are my _personal _guideposts of writing his character – you know, illuminate those darker traits that make us go…hey that's not right. Bad form, Levi! You're jealous and possessive and being a complete jerkwad, assuming Petra's intentions and, ugh! Just chill out because you aren't acting fair or in a 'wholesome' way like a NICE guy should!

Guys, it's intentional – and I can't even say they are flaws that I plan on 'fixing' within him either. Fair warning, they'll keep coming too. Be angry at his character flaws that cause pain and damage others, because yes, yes, yes. You should be! Keep being angry, and keep _noticing_ when his behaviors aren't lining up…but just heads up on that front, don't think that I can rightly 'heal' him of those traits, because many of these things are _set in_ traits that define him, and Petra's 'love' wouldn't change that. It pains me to say that, but real talk, it just wouldn't.

Here are things that stand out to me in the_ cannon_ universe, and again act as guideposts for how I characterize him here (among other things of course):

Levi is a vindictive, poor sport. He really is. Think about his very introduction – walking up to two Titans and even though they are mindless drones who pose him VERY LITTLE threat considering his skill level and the advantageous surroundings of anchor points and city buildings - there is literally NO benefit to his trash talking, but even still he can't help but give his stupid little two cents and insult these Titans for being 'ugly'. Ugly? Like…a five-year-old insult? Really Levi? Petty much? Not enough self-control to just do your job and keep your sarcastic comments to yourself? Okay bro. That's pathetic, but fine.

Now, think about his taunting Annie. When it looks like they have her pinned and the mission is a success, all in a day's work, Levi takes it upon himself to hop up on her head and give her some _chilling_ threats at a moment where it seems she has no escape route. Why? Was the victory alone just not enough for him where he had to completely terrorize her like that? In some ways, it was his blood thirsty threats that caused her to go into a panic like she did, right? Yall following where this is going?

Levi's lack of self-control, in my mind of course, is partly to _blame_ for Squad Levi ending the way they did. And no. I'm not bitter. Not at all. Yes, Annie pulled the trigger, but Levi's the one who riled her up in the first place because he couldn't shut his stupid mouth and just buck up and get it done.

Guys, I love Levi's character – but this is a blood thirsty man who is vengeful, and sadistically_ enjoys_ crushing his adversaries in both a physical and psychological manner, in a way that truly makes me uncomfortable to watch/read about at times. This is a repetitive trait, in fact, _the_ most repetitive trait we see of him throughout the entire storyline. Spoiler here (sorry) but think about the more recent manga with Zeke in the cart. You ever think as to why Levi cut him up, inch by inch, instead of just severing off his legs and arms in _one_ go? It would have saved time, less energy on his part, certainly more humane, and not to mention the mess of blood which Levi has been shown many times to be irritated by…

Yall. Levi _wanted_ to cause him pain simply because the opportunity presented itself. An eye for an eye for turning his entire squad into Titans I'd wager. Just getting the job done wasn't enough for him there either. I'd debate that it's _never_ been enough for Levi. He is vengeful and desperate for some payback, grasping at every little insult, every ounce of blood and pain he can grab hold of, because at the end of the day – success alone is NOT enough for him when it comes to someone who's crossed him. It's personal, it's always been personal, and Levi commits to causing his enemies every bit of pain and suffering in whatever way he can cause it, to such an extent that it's caused him and other's _legitimate_ trouble. He _is _disciplined to be sure, but here in this area, he _notably _lacks self-control and doesn't frequently have the willpower, nor the desire to even change it.

For sake of time, let me wrap it up because this chapter is plenty long as it is. I just wanted to point some of these things out to remind that Levi has some serious rough edges – I mean, _really_ rough – so it's only right that he will _also_ have some ugly moments here, where his lack of self-control comes out to the forefront and he does things that rightfully make us cringe. I _have_ to yall. He wouldn't be Levi without that uncomfortable spark of something, where you respect him but there's still just that looming shadow to his character that reminds you that he's…he's _lived_ some life.

It's strange. I love seeing yall call him out for his crap, and keep doing it because I love an audience that isn't fooled by the voice of narration, nor fooled into thinking Levi's perfect just because he's a main character here – but at the same time, keep in mind that a lot of Levi's character flaws…they're here to stay. I get he's our main character in a romance flic, but to make him perfect or make him respond to things in the 'right' and 'noble' way…that's_ not_ Levi.

But fear not yall. As you already know, he has his…redeemable traits, that even him out to be sure. To only focus on his flaws would be as_ equally_ unfair, and I did swear to try to write him as accurately as possible – the good, the bad, and everything in between :)

Thus concludes my speech. See yall next week!


	45. The One Where Levi's Brought Up to Speed

Hey guys!

Happy Sunday and thanks for all your thoughts last week regarding both the chapter and my own mental thoughts toward writing out Levi through all the in's and out's.

I don't have too much to say here, because I'm in a bit of a time crunch for game day. Wish us luck guys!

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* * *

…

As predicted, when Petra had awoken from her nap, the day's testing resumed without further delay and both Hanji and Petra had continued pursuing after further data until they eventually pushed Levi to his limits. It was late into the day, just cresting sunset, when Levi returned to the forest floor after another lap completed and confirmed flat out that he was done whether they had their data or not, because it was getting hard to see in the dense forest and what was more, he was ready to collapse – a fact that Petra couldn't deny because he was panting heavily, his limbs were shaking, he could barely keep himself standing upright – she had _never_ seen him so exhausted from training, and while she knew that making a big deal or fussing over him would only irritate him, Petra couldn't deny her sudden feelings of immense concern.

She kept quiet as he stoically made his way to the table they were sitting at, clearly putting on a brave face as he walked calmly toward them, and Petra barely restrained the urge to reach toward him as he sat down, noticing that his legs wobbled traitorously beneath him, to the extent that he almost faltered as he lowered himself to sit down because he trulywas_ that _spent.

Petra felt a sort of guilt well up in her stomach as she watched him, uncertain if it was pride she felt as she observed him, or if it was sheer worry because after all they had put him through, the outright hours of repetitive laps and intense focus on his part, he could hardly remain conscious and upright. At the very least, it was a testament to his incredible discipline and drive – the fact that he knew his limits that well that he could train so hard, train to the _exact _extent of his capabilities, without actually _overstepping_ those limits and inviting injury or further damage.

He really was Humanity's Strongest, and Petra found herself blushing slightly, in pure awe of the Captain and being reminded full well that he truly was in a league all his own.

As the Captain took a moment to catch his breath, Hanji looked over some of their various pages and nodded her head in a pleased manner, knowing they were in fact off to a solid start because they had such a strong foundation of numbers to work with, "Alright Levi, now that the base data is out of the way, I think it's time we get you caught up on what we are looking at and what's got Erwin so excited. Petra's theory, if I do say so myself, is very promising, and tomorrow the real work begins. To speak frankly, if you thought today was hard, tomorrow is going to be even harder – at least to some degree anyway - so make sure you rest tonight, stretch out or do whatever it is you need to do to be ready, because we put all the numbers to the test and that means you're going to be run ragged I'm afraid."

Levi looked up from the table and gave a half sort of nod, still catching his breath as Hanji continued, "As a side note, I know that Petra needs to rest as well, so she and I will get these numbers prepared as quickly as possible, and with any luck, no one will have to be up late tonight. If we're diligent, I imagine we'll finish, maybe right around curfew, if that's alright with you Levi?"

He gave a single nod, and as Hanji continued speaking, Petra handed Levi a water bottle, allowing her hand to rest on his forearm until he looked up at her curiously. 'You okay?' she mouthed silently in concern, and he waved his hand casually, mouthing a quiet, 'I'm fine.' in return, opening the water bottle and drinking it in its entirety in a single go. He took another deep breath and motioned toward the now empty bottle with a nod of his head. 'Thanks' he mouthed in continued silence, and Petra gave him a warm smile, saying nothing further but grabbing his hand with a reassuring squeeze.

Not seeing this interaction due to her continued focus on the papers, Hanji nodded her head in a sort of affirmation and handed the folder to Petra for safe keeping, "As for what to expect for tomorrow Levi, Petra and I will spend most of the night creating averages. The average amount of gas you used during each lap, the time each lap took when averaged out – once that's done, we'll take a look at the outliers, which is honestly what we're most interested in. We'll specifically focus on the laps that were the quickest, the slowest, the times you were notably conservative with gas, and the times you used your reserves more freely. Tomorrow is where we will be seeing why those outliers ended in the way that they did. We will see what actions you are taking specifically, using the same numbers you yourself have achieved today, to coach you to better perform and achieve more consistently in a manner that will, theoretically at least, beat all your averages from today."

Hearing Hanji's explanation and _somewhat_ understanding what they were saying, Levi made a contemplative expression and looked toward Petra for further clarification. He knew the idea was possible – and like Hanji had pointed out it would almost run him into the ground if they intended to coach him to be_ better_ than he was today in using his own numbers against him to curve performance – but he wasn't quite seeing the correlation as to how this would address the gas shortage specifically.

Frankly, he didn't see how this exercise related to the gas shortage at all.

Seeing his pointed and skeptical stare, Petra took a deep breath and tried to sort out her thoughts, "When you were carrying me back from the medical ward, you said something to the effect that I should have thought about using my reserves of gas more freely, and at the time, I was already thinking about how skilled_ you_ were, and granted, it took me a little bit to make the mental connection, but a part of me realized – in regards towards the gas shortage specifically – that how much gas a person uses…really it's all just a matter of personal, individual skill."

Levi nodded in agreement, and Petra continued, "This entire time, we've been looking at how much gas we as a_ regiment _use and just accepting those baseline numbers as gospel; responding to the shortage by way of how usage can be_ cut_ because obviously each soldier uses however much they need to in order to achieve the task at hand and that's not going to change, and that –_ that_ is where we went wrong. Instead of focusing on what _areas_ we could cut in order to conserve gas – a response that takes _away_ resources and endangers our men - the theory that I'm trying to test out is the idea that if we focused intentionally on the individual, focus our resources on teaching _everyone_ how to be more efficient with gas – we can meet the government's demands_ that_ way. Instead of _losin_g our resources, we actually_ conserve_ them, and no one will have to go without."

Levi blinked, because he understood where she was coming from and her idea sounded great as an abstract sort of 'in a perfect world' dream, but it just didn't seem possible in a _tangible,_ real world sense, as everyone had their own methods and individual strengths that wouldn't just be changed overnight. What was more, how did one even go about _teaching _efficiency and conservation? While they had required classes that trainees went through during basic training, for the most part the unspoken rule was to use your gas however you saw fit, and if you used to much and got eaten by a Titan or fell flat out of the sky, it was your own damn fault for not paying attention and using too much.

Petra smiled at his still unconvinced expression, "Just hear me out Captain, because if Erwin agreed to test it out in a time like this and give _you_ unlimited stores when we're running bare bones as it is, then you know I'm onto something. Imagine if we amped up the military's efficiency as a whole - we could very well achieve those same demands of thirteen percent each month, but not because we have _removed_ Scouts from using their resources, but simply because we have trained our Scouts individually to use those resources more effectively than ever before." She grinned and nodded toward him proudly, "And that's where you come in, Captain. You are Humanity's Strongest after all, so it would make sense that you're our best bet for a model soldier – someone who is fast and strong, and not flippantly burning through their gas tanks from lack of experience or skill. None the less, even _you_ Captain, have ways to improve, so tomorrow we put your own numbers against you to drive you toward those outliers and try to get you to use as little gas as possible while _still _retaining your speed and other performance markers."

Hanji grinned as she watched Levi intentionally, observing as his expression changed and he finally began to understand where this was going, starting to see the outright genius that was Petra's theory, "If you haven't figured it out from there Levi," Hanji confirmed simply, "We will start to see further trends through _you _specifically, come tomorrow. For example, we'll likely see how to ascend or descend at the right point to lessen overall gas usage, when to coast, when to propel yourself forward, or when to use the 3DM cables to achieve further momentum instead of gas. Once we can see those consistent trends and understand exactly _how _to be more efficient, more than ever before, _then_ we start training the other Scouts, using you as a teacher and mentor, and using Petra's data and keen eye for tactics and how to go about turning those numbers into tangible results."

Levi took in the explanation, finding himself at a loss for words before looking toward Petra with a shocked, pensive expression because it was a lot to process but…it could _actually_ work. Her eyes locked onto his, her green orbs wide and questioning, and as she looked at him fearfully, a blush staining her cheeks as she waited for his response, he realized that she was looking for his approval, and _desperately. _

"So uh…what do you think?"

He gave a huff of amusement and shrugged, "When Erwin told me that you were the Scout's supposed 'only hope', I told him to go fuck himself because he was off his rocker. You weren't ready for this Petra, and you were a walking shitshow for over a month because you were _way_ over your head, just like I fucking _said_ you would be. But honestly, here we are now, with the numbers and an actual plan that can get real results because it's something that's never been done before and…" he shook his head, "I really shouldn't be surprised in the least."

Hanji grinned at Levi's statement and stood up from the table in preparation to leave, a mirthful smile across her lips as she watched the exhausted Captain, "Oh? Because she's just that smart and intuitive, I suppose?"

Levi outright snorted at her words and rolled his eyes darkly, "Fuck no. Because she's a damn _brat _that always gets her way in the end, every goddamned time!"

Petra groaned and allowed her head to fall toward the table, shaking her head because while she wasn't sure what she was expecting him to say, she supposed she should have known Levi would merely tease her about it in the end.

Hanji grinned at his words and Petra's dramatic reaction, seeming to sense that it was somewhat of an inside joke between the pair and she gave a slight bow, "Is that so? Well, let's hope that luck of hers holds out, because we need it. I'm going to head in for the night. I'll be in my office whenever you're ready Petra. Go ahead and bring the numbers from today and we'll get it calculated and organized so we can get right to it come the morning." She looked toward the Captain specifically, "And as always Levi, you never cease to amaze. Thank you for your hard work; I know it wasn't easy but I truly believe we're onto something here so you're efforts weren't in vain. Try to give it your all again tomorrow and let's hope for the best."

As Hanji gave a wave and walked off, Petra looked up from the table and slowly stood up cautiously, looking down toward Levi and giving him a tired smile, "How are you feeling Captain? Do you want to rest more? I'm sorry, I thought about just having Hanji carry me back but I didn't want to make you feel weak or incompetent or anything so I wasn't sure if I should ask her or not. I know you're tired so if you want to get Oluo or Eld or someone, I don't want you to have to worry about carrying me around."

Levi chuckled at her nervousness and shook his head, also standing up from the table and walking toward her with a smirk, "Oh and wouldn't Oluo just love that. I'm tired Petra, but not that tired." He walked toward her and as if to prove his words, picked her up with ease and chuckled at the surprised sort of squeak that followed, "Now, let's get you back to the Compound. I'll take you to Four-Eyes' Office and I can come get you when you're done."

Petra chewed the inside of her lip and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling herself closer to him, closer than what was required as she drew small circles around his shoulder with her hand, smiling when Levi looked down at her with a quirked eyebrow, "How's your head?" he asked with obvious suspicion, and Petra gave a soft laugh.

"Crystal clear, Captain. I'm just happy is all." She rested her head against his chest and smiled contentedly as she looked up toward him, "I'm happy that things are going smoothly, I'm happy that you finally got to hear the why's behind everything, I'm happy that Erwin is taking this seriously, and I'm happy that…I got to see you like this today. I don't know the last time I got to watch you train to your maximum like this, or if I've _ever_ seen you train to such an extent before, just you by yourself. You make me really proud to be your subordinate Levi; you're just incredible. I've always thought that."

She gave a laugh and her smile brightened all the more, "It's just been a really good day. I needed it."

Levi shook his head at her words, admittedly touched by her adoration and sincerity, and as he held her against him, he found his own thumb drawing light, caressing circles over the expanse of her arms and hips lightly, "I wasn't looking for your praise, but regardless I'm glad that I _can_ be someone you feel that you can look up to. I'd be a terrible Captain otherwise, right?"

He paused and dipped his head lower toward her, almost brushing her nose with his own as he spoke, "And for the record Petra, you are an incredible Scout. You, your dedication, your stubbornness and your refusal to accept the status quo," he gave her a direct, serious nod, "You make me a very proud Captain. Well done, Mrs. Ackerman."

Petra blushed at his words, giving a quiet, almost shy thanks at his admission, and as she watched him quietly, a comfortable silence falling between them as Levi took her back to the Compound, Petra knew full well that Levi would never understand just _how much_ his words had truly meant to her that night.

...

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...

Levi eyed her, _once again_, in clear, obvious suspicion, wordlessly stating that he was certain that her question was not a_ real_ question, rather a direct result of her medicated state, and Petra rolled her eyes, finding she was getting rather tired of him assuming that every little thing that she did needed to be scrutinized and was not to be taken seriously unless she could somehow 'prove' herself to him. Even still, even with how annoying his constant suspicion was, Petra could still quite easily tell when her medicine was wearing off, as the overwhelming pain would start to return like clockwork, and as much as she wanted to go without the medicine, she knew she would need at least one more day of taking each dose faithfully in order to get by.

Even still, it didn't make working with the Captain any easier.

"Look." She stated flatly as she tried to watch him seriously, her seriousness only being marred by the intense blush across her face – something that made the Captain's suspicion grow all the more – and Petra took a sobering breath and tried again, "Stop – stop being so assumptive, okay? I'm only blushing because you're looking at me like…I don't know, like I've lost my mind or something."

Petra looked up at him from where she was seated on the edge of her bed nervously – her number crunching with Hanji officially completed – and Levi merely crossed his arms as he continued watching her undaunted, "Well that's because I'm pretty sure that you _have_ lost your mind. It's going on a few hours since you've taken your last dose of medicine and because of that fact alone, frankly Petra, I don't trust you for shit right now."

She groaned and held up a hand in irritation, "Alright. So just explain to me Captain, why you're _not_ staying in yourown room tonight?"

He nodded seriously and all but snorted at the absurdity of her question, staring at her in sudden challenge because even if she didn't like it, he was going to be there with her just the same, regardless her feelings on the matter. "Well, the same reason as last night, which will be the same reason come _tomorrow_ night, _and_ the night after that; maybe even longer depending. You can't get around or do much of anything until you heal up a bit more and your crutches come in. As you are now, you can't get water, you can't wrap your chest, hell, you can't so much as take a piss without someone taking you down the hall first, and frankly, I'd rather not have you hollering down the hall at three am just because you need to pee."

Petra nodded in emphatic agreement, "Alright, see? That's logical." At her words, Petra paused and her expression sobered, watching him in sudden accusation, "What's_ not _logical is you working as hard as you did today, knowing that tomorrow you're going to work even harder, and yet despite the obvious fact that you_ need_ a proper night of rest because I fucking _saw_ how exhausted you are and you can't fool me because you're damn legs were _shaking_ from exhaustion to where I thought you were going to collapse on the damned ground-"

She took a very much needed breath and glared at him balefully, "You seriously mean to tell me that you plan on trying to sleep in that stupid, fucking _chair_ instead of resting properly and preparing for tomorrow, when there's enough room on this bed for the both of us, and for what, because you don't want to give me the wrong impression or something? What the hell is wrong with you?"

Levi blinked at her tirade, admittedly surprised that she had been intentionally working the conversation back around to, again, try to convince him to sleep on her bed, lying right beside her no less. His mouth was hanging open for a moment as he tried to find a proper response, and seeing his dumb founded expression, Petra groaned, shaking her head in a remorseful, guilty manner because she supposed his hesitance was more than warranted, "Alright, fine. Captain, I know that I've been a bit of a handful ever since the accident, and I'm sorry. It's not like I'm trying to be difficult, or weird, or say things that make you uncomfortable. It just…happens."

Levi exhaled through his nose, not having intended Petra to feel that she was a nuisance or an inconvenience to him – if anything he had actually enjoyed being around her and witnessing some of her rather amusing lapse in manners – and he shook his head to correct her, "No Petra, I don't-"

She continued with a shake of her head and outright cut him off, "No, really. When I got hurt, you were the one right beside me, and even though you were worried and out of sorts, you still focused on me the whole time. Since then it hasn't gotten any easier on you, either. When you're not carrying me around, you're checking on the guys, dealing with Hanji, having to watch over me to make sure I'm not acting too insane – and if that's not enough, now I'm controlling your training schedule and all but running you into the ground. Say what you will Captain, but thanks to your being sick earlier, I happen to know what you look like a mere five seconds before passing out, and today, you were there."

Unable to deny her claims because, like Petra had said, she had seen him before and knew him well, Levi remained silent. Taking his silent acceptance as a good sign, Petra looked up at him and spoke with conviction, "Levi, of all people, you have to rest. For_ real _rest. If I'm being completely honest, I'd rather you just sleep in your own room because you'd be most comfortable there, but I know you're stubborn and I'm wasting my breath because you wouldn't consider it for even a moment – so let's make this simple and find a way to compromise: _I _want you to sleep in the bed, you don't want to because it's confusing and weird between us, especially as of late, so how about_ I _sleep in the chair, and _you_ take the bed. Will that work perhaps?"

At her offered compromise, Levi found himself both defensive and irritated at once. "Absolutely not. You're injured. You won't heal properly if you don't rest."

"And _you _won't preform properly if _you _don't rest." Petra retorted simply, and for a long moment, the two stared at each other, because as much as Levi wanted to deny her words, to put on some sort of brave front or pretend that he would be fine, the truth was blatantly obvious. He was _exhausted. _

Eventually, Levi sighed, looking at her bed, then back at her in unresolved question, "Petra, I don't know…"

"What's there to know?" she countered simply, "You'll be on my bed, and I'll sleep on the chair."

"No, not that. I said no, and I meant no. You're sleeping on the bed Petra – I meant that I don't...it's just that I wasn't trying to…"

Realizing what he was thinking about, what he was attempting to verbalize, Petra found herself blushing again.

If Levi was accepting the fact that he needed a proper night's rest, on a proper bed – but also _equally _as adamant that she herself sleep on the bed, she realized now why he was suddenly fumbling with his words, and she found herself looking into the ground nervously.

"Oh. Well, that's certainly an option too, if you're okay with it. I just…I got the feeling that you_ weren't _comfortable with it, and I figured I've done enough to make you uncomfortable on that front and want to be flexible and respectful of your boundaries because I know that I've really muddied the waters lately. I promise Captain, this isn't a result of my medicine, I just…you worked so hard today and I really want you to-"

He sighed and cut her off, "I know. Don't worry about it Petra. It's…it's fine. Just for tonight." He nodded toward her as he moved to the door of her room, "I'm going to go brush my teeth and get changed out of uniform. You'll be alright on your own for a bit, getting dressed for bed and everything? Your chest still good? I mean, it _looks_ good so-"

Levi watched as Petra's expression slowly changed, her eyes going wide at his words, and Levi groaned, "Sorry, I didn't mean your chest like your _chest_ chest-" he paused and cleared his throat, "I meant your bindings, if _they_ were still tight or – but that's not to say that your chest _doesn't_ look good, because of course they always look good, _great_ even so I-"

At the Captain's attempt to correct his words, and subsequently only making it worse - Petra's mouth was hanging open all the more from the Captain's unexpected and suddenly rather _personal _stuttering, and when Levi seemed to give up, merely staring at her in silent horror at his apparent sort of word vomit, Petra gave an empty smile as she stared into the ground in defeat, a silence blanketing the room, "The idea of sleeping next to me _really_ makes you nervous, doesn't it Levi? It's okay, you know, if you're not ready. You don't have to force yourself into any situation with me just to make me happy, because causing you trouble or forcing you to be someone you're not is the last thing I'd ever want from you. Please Captain, for real, just let me sleep in the chair tonight. One night won't kill me, and unlike you, I'll just be sitting at a picnic table all day so it's fine."

Hearing her request, Levi took a collecting breath, smirking at her words that highlighted her sheer innocence and walking back toward her, kneeling on the ground near her bed in attempts to catch her eye. She looked at him in obvious remorse and guilt, clearly believing that the source of his agitation was a result of her recent behavior, and he spoke carefully, "Tell me Petra, my sleeping next to you tonight, what about it do you think makes me nervous, exactly?"

She gave a sigh at his question and shook her head as she searched her mind and tried to articulate her thoughts, "Honestly, I think you're afraid that I'll try something on you; that I'll push myself onto you and put you in a bad position or something."

Levi smirked at her words, "I suppose I am worried about that to some extent Petra, but I'm afraid that you misunderstand completely." He pushed himself off from the floor just slightly, allowing himself to move closer toward her as he aligned his mouth near the shell of her ear, hearing Petra take a surprised gasp from his sudden closeness as his hot breath ghosted across her skin in a phantom caress, "Because it's not_ you_ that I'm worried about. It's _me_."

He allowed time for his words to sink in, knowing that as naive as she was, there would be no misunderstanding _that_, and as the silence drew out, as though she didn't _know_ what to say, he found himself wishing that he knew what Petra was thinking – curious what thoughts were running through _her_ head after hearing such a thing from him.

The idea of being with her, intentionally staying with her, laying beside her and not just in a chair a few feet away as he watched over her throughout the night – fuck, he found he wanted it a little_ too_ much, and he was somewhat hesitant to accept her offer so easily because he was certain that it meant more to him than she knew.

It made it too easy, made her too accessible, made it too convenient for his hand to accidentally slip, to crest just a little too high, perhaps a little too low, made it so easy for him to pull her flush against him and tease and toy with her until her mind was all but a puddle and her defenses were down. Their relationship had been a sea of greys, and it would be far too easy to take advantage of the situation; whisper the right words, bait her with sugary tones and use her heart against her because he knew her feelings were true, and because of that, he doubted she would find it in herself to push him away, even if she herself wasn't fully committed to the idea.

"Levi, I trust you." Was all she whispered, and Levi found his stomach ached with a mix of lust, anxiousness, fear, and uncertainty because if _Petra_ trusted him…

Well, wasn't that just fucking _swell_, because that officially made _one _of them.

…

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End of Chapter

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…

Sorry guys, no time to chat :)

I'm hosting a super bowl party and there's a lot of prep to get done. Hearts and all that, you guys are the best!

~Mid


	46. The One Right Beside Her

*kicks in door*

How 'bout them CHIEFS?!

Oh my gosh guys, we won, we won, we won! Man, I seriously don't think I can put into words how huge this is to my peeps out here in the Midwest. Do yall get it? I have been telling myself 'Next Season' for some…what, fifteen years now I've actually followed football as a vested, interested fan? Real talk, I may or may not have shed a few tears after the game, because while yes, next season is a real thing and I'm super stoked for the future of the franchise, for the first time in my fandom history, 'next season' turned into THIS season. I've been waiting for this since I was a kid! CRAZY! I know most of yall don't seem to be major fans, so this is a happy conclusion for the both of us. My team walked out with the Superbowl title (muy importante) and yall walk out with your sanity and less author's notes about football – at least until August :)

As for this chapter, yeah, back to business. I'll wrap it up, let yall do your thing, and I'll see you on the other side.

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…

When Levi awoke, sometime in the dead of night, it came to his immediate attention that it was _hot_. He felt his shirt tight against his skin, itchy and somewhat damp from sweat, and he all but groaned at the uncomfortable sensation that had caused him to stir. What was worse, he was still under a number of blankets, so it felt as though his entire body were trapped in some horrible, humid sauna.

He supposed it couldn't be helped; it was officially summer after all, so the days were longer and unbearably hot. While it wasn't an everyday occurrence, it certainly wasn't unheard of for the occasional evening to hold a certain degree of heat that remained untouched by the setting sun, and it _would_ be his luck that tonight would be one of those nights.

Levi exhaled in irritation, sitting up from the mattress slightly as he pushed the blankets off himself one by one. He pulled the shirt off his body and threw it off the end of the bed in a brooding sort of pout, preparing to fall back into the bed when from beside him, Petra shifted just slightly from his actions, and Levi found that his previously tense expression perhaps, softened, as he watched her in admitted surprise. A part of him had forgotten that he was sleeping less than an arm's length away from her, and on second thought, perhaps it wasn't so much the heat of the night that had caused him to overheat, so much as the heat of the warm body that was resting so close to him.

"You too, huh?" came her soft voice, the sound of her voice almost causing him to jolt because he hadn't known she had actually been awake.

He swallowed thickly, his previous surprise still causing him to be a little slow to the draw, and he looked down toward her relaxed form and could only muster a nod of sorts.

She turned her head to look at him, shifting just slightly so she could watch him, her face seeming to be illuminated in the moonlight and giving her eyes a breathtaking shine, "Gods, this sucks. We've got a big day tomorrow and it's just so hot that I can't really stay asleep." She grabbed the blankets around her and turned toward him more fully, as though knowing full well that neither of them would be falling back asleep any time soon.

Looking at her and rolling his eyes as she watched him in question, Levi grabbed the corner of her blankets with a scoff, "Well yeah, dumbass. If you're hot then the least you could do is not suffocate yourself under all these blankets because-"

As he grabbed the blankets and pulled them off of her, there was an immediate sharp gasp and an alarmed 'Levi, no!' that could be heard, but it was too late because he was already midmotion and as the blankets came off from all around her, Levi realized all too late_ why_ she had chosen to keep her bedding around her in the first place.

Unable to stop himself from looking at all he saw, his eyes immediately scanned her rather scantily clad body, noting that sometime in the night she had apparently stripped down and was wearing nothing more than her sheer bindings that were _already_ starting to unravel, and a simple pair of black panties that hugged tightly to her rear _quite_ nicely.

All at once Petra made a face of embarrassment, at first trying to curl up into a ball of sorts in attempts to shield herself from him, but giving a wince at her burning and aching side that rejected her crunching motion. She attempted to sit up in hopes to retrieve the blankets back around her, but again winced at her sudden sharp actions and instead, Petra merely laid out on her back, and finally brought both her hands over her face and groaned in defeated embarrassment.

"Oh gods Levi, I'm…damn, I'm sorry. I didn't think you'd wake up, and I _swear_ I wasn't trying to like, I don't know, seduce you or do something inappropriate. Oh my god, I can't, just don't - please don't think that I was-"

As she spoke through her hands in obvious distress, Levi found his mouth felt rather dry, the room was _suffocatingly_ hot, and he was very, very aware of the woman right in front of him, barely able to even _register_ her self-conscious words because try as he may, he just couldn't stop _staring_. His eyes continued to scan her body in surprise and admitted _appreciation_; he couldn't deny that she was proportioned _exceptionally_ well – a long, thin neck, an undeniable fullness to her breasts, a curve in her hips and a plumpness to her ass that was somewhat hidden from view now that she was laying on her back again, but_ not_ so hidden were legs that seemed to go on and on, regardless the fact that she was shorter than even him. Her proportions were all but perfect, and he realized that, like she had once stated, she was simply _petite_, even for a girl.

Levi swallowed thickly, his throat dry enough that he could actually _hear_ himself swallowing, and he found himself reaching toward her, his hand starting to draw simple patterns on her arm but quickly trailing down and landing on the exposed skin of her bare hip, his voice quiet as he spoke, "Tell me Petra, your head – how are you feeling right now?"

Petra paused in place, falling perfectly still at his words, at the small, gentle way his finger caressed her arm and skin, and she slowly lowered her hands as her green eyes searched for his in obvious confusion, "My head, Levi? What…what do you mean?"

Almost smiling at her words and feeling a sort of breathlessness overtake him, Levi leaned over her and grabbed both of her arms, pulling them intentionally – but _carefully_ – over her head as he made a point of looking her over one more time so she could _see_ his approval. He looked over her barely restrained breasts, her milky torso, the black fabric of her panties that contrasted so greatly against her pale skin, the way her mouth parted as her face continued to show signs of her intense blush – he smirked and shifted toward her, pulling his leg over her hips as he straddled her thin waist.

She gasped at his sudden bold advance, and he felt her attempt to pull her arms out of his hold, causing a chuckle to leave his lungs because her shyness was more than getting the best of her and it was fucking adorable. He leaned even closer toward her, licking his lips and speaking so softly in her ear, running his lips along the shell of her ear as he spoke heatedly, "What, are you embarrassed or something? If I let you go, you'd only try to cover yourself back up, right? Lot of good that would do you now; I've already seen it, so what's the point?"

After he was finished speaking, he brought her earlobe into his mouth, sucking on the skin and smirking as a clear, sensual gasp could be heard from her. The previous tension in her arms went completely slack as a slight moan could be heard from her, and her entire body seemed to relax beneath him all at once. Feeling this, feeling the thrill that came with Petra's submission, he kissed the skin of her neck in barely restrained anticipation, "Good girl. Now let me ask you again Petra, how's your head?"

She gave a shaky exhale, as though struggling to find her words and think clearly. Eventually she whispered softly, "Well it's uh, well it's…fine, I guess. Why?"

He chuckled at her words, amused by the hesitance of her response and the shyness of all her actions – there was no doubt in his mind that this was _his _Petra through and through. He ran his lips down her neck, mapping her skin with his touch as he responded in a pleased whisper, "No reason. Just good to know that I won't have to feel _guilty_ about any of this tomorrow."

Levi pressed his lips against hers passionately with an exhale of relief, not sure what their actions might entail or how far they might be _able_ to go in her present condition, but knowing that if Petra was willing, if Petra wanted him and wanted his touch, gods he would give her every piece of him, and however much she wanted without restraint. He pulled his free arm around her back, using his palm to encourage her to arch upward, to press herself up and against his bare chest, waiting for the gasp he knew was coming to press his tongue into her open mouth as their relatively bare skin collided in the hot, humid night air.

A low, throaty groan left him as Petra wound herself up against him, the sensation causing his blood to race and his body to throb with need. He could feel her warmth through the impossibly sheer bindings, feel the tenderness of her breasts and the gentle planes of her curves and silky skin slide against him, and as he pressed his own chest more firmly against hers, he felt her take a shuddering gasp, breaking his kiss as she moaned his name softly.

Gods, he loved it when she said his name like that – so desperately, so tainted with lust and desire; he could feel her shifting gently beneath him, now pressing her body up into him of her _own_ free will as she panted and gasped for air between their heavy, open mouthed kisses.

The hand that wasn't holding her arms, the hand he had used to push her up into him, was now gliding over her side, over her ribs delicately, using the back of his fingertips to tease her skin. He brushed over her stomach, knuckles grazing across the dip of her belly button, and after a few moments of rather heated kisses, wandering hands and Petra running her hands through his hair, down his back and tracing the sides of his hips, Levi's hand began roaming higher, to where the swell of her breasts began. He felt her take a sharp inhale once his fingers continued to move higher still, his intentions made very clear as he stalled in place so near her chest, as though seeking either her permission or rejection, and when Petra pulled away from his kiss and almost shifted _toward_ his hand - he finally gave a defeated moan into her mouth, overwhelmed by his body's screaming demands and spurred on all the more as Petra intentionally fell back into the bed as though she were purposefully making _room_ for him to explore. Needing no further confirmation, Levi continued his previous actions as though he had never stopped, his hand finding its way rather intentionally over the barely contained mound of flesh with a sweeping, hungry caress.

He palmed her through the thin, almost nonexistent bindings, rolling his hand over her skin and clasping his fingers around her breast fully, moaning wantonly into the night air and hearing _her_ moan in return as he touched her deliberately. Fuck, she felt _so_ damn good in his hands, just as he had expected, and he released her arms in the next moment, bringing his other hand around her opposite breast and palming her with equal intensity as the sheer force of his desire drove him mad in a mix of pleasure and the painful need for _more _– more of the sounds, more of the touches, more of her body, and just more of_ her_ in every way.

Levi watched as Petra dug her head back into her pillow, arching herself into his hands and moaning _beautifully, _her panting coming in short breaths and causing her breasts to pulse and thrum with the rise and fall of her lungs. "Levi, this…this feels-" again she rolled her chest and her eyes fluttered closed once he used the pad of his thumb to draw light, teasing circles around the hardening peak of her nipples, and she gave a weak cry at the sensation, unable to find her words further as he teased her intentionally.

"Good?" he finished for her with a heated stare, his gaze never leaving her face as he squeezed the soft flesh in his hands, and he gave a low groan when Petra nodded in unashamed admission and suddenly shifted herself up and pressed, not her chest, but rather her_ hips_ against him – grinding against his now prominent erection and giving a contented sigh, as though the pressure alone from him was pleasurable for her.

For Petra, the contact had almost seemed to sedate her; seemed to make her body melt and calm some of her inner tempest, but for _Levi_, it had the opposite effect, and he found himself repeating her action with growing need, grinding back into her hips and gasping at the intense sensation that followed, because he could already feel an irresistible amount of heat from her core through the thin, basic pair of panties, and Levi hung his head at the overwhelming, wonderful sensation. His body knew full well what he was grinding up against, knew by sheer instinct that what he was pressing into would quell the aching pain between his legs in such a wonderful, perfect way.

As he rubbed himself against her purposefully, he could feel _her _body tremble with need, and he almost gave a strangled sort of grunt as his erection slid across the thin fabric of her panties at an agonizingly slow pace because he wanted to feel her against him like this. Fuck, the sheer _heat_ – it was as though the fabric did _nothing _to shield him from her alluring body; the hot and wet and the sheer bliss that would be waiting for him, and Levi tried to force control over his mind and body because everything he desired, everything he imagined, was all but contained within a simple layer of fabric that would be so, _so_ easy to remove and as much as he wanted her, he couldn't rush things.

He wanted to _enjoy_ her, wanted _her_ to enjoy _him, _and while his desire was making him more than a little uncomfortable, he found himself looking back toward Petra with a mystified, curious expression.

He took a stabilizing breath, "…Petra?"

Hearing her name, she looked up toward him, seeing his face hovering just inches above hers – seeing his_ body_ hovering just above hers, and she gave a beautiful, contented smile. She watched him with that warm expression as she trailed a finger down his abs, causing his muscles to contract and pulse at her touch, because his body was so acutely aware of her every action that the slightest touch from her sent tremors racing down his spine. "Levi, tell me…do you want me?" she asked breathlessly, and he could only take a panting breath of his own, swallowing thickly as he responded and looking down her stunning body that made his own ache and throb wantonly.

What a question.

"Yes, Petra. _So_ goddamned much."

Petra's smile brightened all the more at his words, as though she wasn't previously convinced of his sincerity, and even in the darkness of the night, he could see a blush rise over her cheeks. As she watched him happily, her expression content and beautiful, Levi suddenly gasped breathlessly, taken by complete surprise when Petra's hand went _lower_, over the band of his pant line, over the seams of his pockets; eventually coming to rest squarely over his erection.

Her touch was soft through the fabric of his pants, and Levi bit his inner lip, curling his toes in attempts to restrain himself – from_ what_ he wasn't sure – as Petra's fingers drew lazy patterns over the thin material. "Me too, Levi. And…you can tell, right? You can _tell _that I want you, and I want to _be_ with you, like this?" Her fingers trailed his length up and down, as much as his pants would allow, and while it was hard to focus on her words, hard to focus on anything that _wasn't_ Petra and her curiously wandering hand, Levi found himself nodding just the same because _of course_ he knew.

He heard a small laugh, "Well that's good. I'm glad you can tell, because I _do_. I want you, Levi but-" her hand stopped moving, and Levi felt a sort of pained groan leave him as the warm sensation came to an abrupt end, and Petra continued with a sigh, "but you may have to wait a while longer. Is that okay, Levi? Is that too selfish of me?"

As Petra spoke, her voice sounded almost far away - something that baffled him in his desperate state, because she was_ right _there – and he watched her in sudden concern, about to ask her what she meant, ask her if he had hurt her or if she wanted him to stop (or perhaps why_ she_ had stopped), when the warmness of her body also began to fade; her gentle smile growing more blurry and the world around him suddenly fading into a foggy sort of nothingness.

…

* * *

…

It was the sound of his own moaning, his own body shifting and pressing into the mattress that caused Levi to wake, and as his eyes fluttered open in sudden confusion; confused to be lying on his back, _not _hovering over the woman who was…he looked over toward his side in half awake question, noting that Petra was still sleeping soundly, facing _away_ from him and with her shirt and clothes very clearly still on - and Levi slowly realized the reality of the situation. He closed his eyes tightly in a sort of disappointed, frustrated grimace and felt a sort of groan leave his lips.

It had all been a dream.

Worse still, even though it had all been just a dream, his body and mind certainly didn't seem to think so and was _more_ than ready to pick up where his dream had left off with the woman resting so softly, so beautifully, right beside him.

Levi allowed his head to remain to the side and he stole another prolonged glance at Petra's sleeping form, her outline silhouetted in the glowing moonlight and making him recall all the wonderful sounds she had made for him, the way she had felt against his body, and the way_ he_ had felt while touching her and pursuing her, all within the confines of his mind.

As if just_ looking_ at her sleeping form was enough to ignite his senses, Levi felt an intense sort of throb humming between his legs, and he bit back a groan, instinctively pressing his hips upward for further contact and friction, realizing that the hand he had once imagined as Petra's, the hand that even now was resting over the _very _uncomfortable bulge in his pants, was of course _his own_. As he sat there in admitted surprise, _still_ coming to terms with the fact that it had all been just a mere dream, that Levi felt a stalling sort of indecision run through him because he had no idea if he wanted to drop his hold and allow himself to feel the fire and pain of his own palpable desire until it miserably faded away on its own, or if he would go so far as to _continue_ his actions and purposefully solve the resulting problem in a much more basic, simple way.

Even now, his heart was pounding in his chest, he was still panting, his body was tense and coiled and so fucking _hot_; the pulsating, uncomfortable ache between his legs didn't let up in the slightest, and Levi ground his teeth together in frustration because he didn't even _know _the last time he had had such a dream, didn't know the last time he had been so out of control of his _own_ body, and worse still, didn't know the last time he had to resort to such measures like some damned fucking teenage brat - but he was certain of one thing:

If thoughts of Petra had gotten him into this mess, then they could get him out _just _as easily.

Admittedly, he didn't like the idea of doing something like that - thinking of Petra in such a way while intentionally touching himself considering she was so innocently sleeping _right _beside him no less - but in his desperate and needy state, Levi found he wasjust _so _uncomfortable that some part of him didn't really care, welcoming the promise of release in whatever way he could find it if it meant his body uncoiled and eventually allowed him to get back to sleep.

As his hand moved from off his painfully taut erection, Levi shifted his hips again, cautiously and hesitantly slipping his hand down below his pant line as though still undecided, because as much as he wanted to rid himself of the irritating problem resulting from his frustrating and sensual dream, he felt it _was_ perhaps a little dirty to be doing such a thing right beside her, in her room, without her knowledge. Still though, even if it felt taboo, he found he couldn't quite stop himself, because even if he didn't want to, even if he tried to take the mental high ground and just sit there miserably until who knows how long it would take for his erection to naturally die down, he knew his mind would continue to wander just the same, thoughts of her _already _plaguing him even now – a feverish mix of his own ideas and fantasies, and the previous moments he had already shared with her in the past.

He thought about what it would be like, to _actually_ touch her, to hear her voice crack and tremble as his hands glided down her silky skin. From within his pants, Levi's fingertips brushed his sensitive, flushed skin and he shuddered at the sensation, because even the feel of his _own_ hand was welcome when he was this aroused and desperate. He wondered what_ Petra_ would think if she saw such a thing; seeing her oh so esteemed Captain sporting a raging hard on for her, and ultimately reduced to having to jerk himself off because he was _that_ desperate.

He had known it for months now, had begrudgingly accepted his desire and his unrelenting attraction to her, but this was on a new level. His desire for her was _tangible_, causing an aching; a sort of pent up energy that had no avenue for release – to the extent that now she was in his dreams. Gods, he just wanted to fuck her _so_ badly; certainly more than he had wanted it from any other woman in his life, and he was curious as to how she would eventually respond to his desire because it was only just a matter of time until he approached her with such obvious urgency and intent.

He allowed his fingertips to wrap about the base of his length and gave an exhale of relief as his body relaxed into his own hold, his hand callused and firm but knowing Petra's, _hers_ would be soft and gentle, perhaps hesitant he imagined - shy from her limited experience and cautious in her curiosity and innocence. Gods, what would her emerald eyes look like, half lidded and darkened with lust as he took off her clothes piece by piece, whispering sensual promises in her ear about what he would do to her, the things he would make her feel because he wanted her to be _just _as desperate for him. Her naked, beautiful body – he would be able to touch her, feel her,_ experience_ her in the most pleasurable of ways – he moved his hand from the base of his length up to the tip, not surprised to feel precum already leaking down him and slicking his hand with the hot liquid as he pumped his hand downward and back up in a slow, building pace.

It wouldn't be long at all now, until she was his. He would so easily approach her, kiss her until she was panting like he had done so many times before, and once she was breathless and unsorted, he'd make his intentions known because he'd_ tell_ her flat out. He wanted to fuck her, and he was _going_ to fuck her, simple as that.

Once she was out of her cast, he wouldn't _have_ to stop anymore; there would be no more reasons left to push her away. He would undress her bit by bit, enjoying every new part of her and make sure she _never_ forgot that she was his in _every _fucking way. His hands would wrap about her full breasts, enveloping them in his commanding hold and he would hear her gasp and cry as he did whatever he pleased to her, making her squirm beneath him and arch against him all the more from sheer ecstasy because he knew full well that she longed for his touch. Even now, gods, he fucking_ loved_ her boobs - to date he hadn't actually seen them, hadn't actually had the ability to touch them or play with them like he had wanted so badly, but he knew with certainty that they would be _amazing; _sensitive and perky and deliciously warm; soft and inviting - just like Petra herself. He knew doubtlessly that they would feel _so _fucking great in his hands, absolutely perfect down to the smallest of details, and gods, the _sounds_ she would make as he toyed with her - the gasps, the cries; she would moan and cry out forhim _by name –_ she would outright _beg_ him for more, only to be left hungry because he would intentionally tease her all the more, if only to hear her voice tainted wantonly with desire that called for him alone.

He was moving his hand more quickly, with focus and intent, the heat concentrating and centralizing in his body as thoughts of her continued to fuel his actions, his hand sliding up and down his shaft purposefully as he sought after his approaching release. He bit back a moan as his thoughts shifted again, unable to stop himself from wondering just how damn good she would feel from all around him, what it would be like to _finally_ be inside of her. In truth, he struggled to imagine it – the intense heat, the pressure of her walls all around him as he pressed himself deep inside her, the velvety warmth that would steal the breath right out of him – he knew _logically_ what to expect as he had been with a vast number of women in the past, and yet some part of him instinctively knew that Petra was different, and _would _be different in every way.

Her body would be as close to heaven as a man like him could ever hope to find; being _inside_ her would be a pleasure like none he had ever known before, and at the mere thought of_ finally_ getting to be with her, the sheer desire for her alone that fueled his desperate actions even now, he found his breath coming in staggering pants as he approached his climax.

"Petra…" he whispered almost desperately into the night, wishing more than anything that it was _her_ hand that was wrapped around him; wishing it was her soft and supple body that had aroused such incomparable desire from him, and not a mere _dream_ that had elicited these strong feelings instead. He wanted to experience those heights_ with_ her, through her, and _because_ of her.

He blinked in conviction, realizing that being intimate, truly _intimate_ with Petra was what he wanted most of all - not…not this.

Levi stalled in place, his previous thoughts outright causing his actions to come to a rather sudden and abrupt halt – and before he could make a decision to continue or not, Petra shifted suddenly from beside him, apparently having heard her name from him and subconsciously stirring as a result. She gave a soft exhale before turning on her side, now facing _toward_ him as she attempted to find a new comfortable position, continuing to shift every which way for a few moments.

Levi froze perfectly in place in sudden dread and concern as he waited nervously for her to fall asleep more fully, having_ no_ idea what the hell he would do if Petra actually _woke up _to find him jacking off a mere foot away from her. Regardless his rather immediate concerns of being found out, some part of him could only watch her in awe as she eventually found her place not so coincidentally, somehow not at all surprisingly…at his side, her legs brushing against his lightly, one arm cradled near her head, and the other coming to rest across his chest lightly, her finger tips splayed out so gently against the fabric of his shirt and almost tickling his skin at the featherlight sensation.

Only when she was settled against him completely did she seem to finally lull herself back to sleep, as though she had been sleeping next to him for years, and she gave a soft, contented sigh as she rested so calmly against him. Her sudden, palpable contentment spoke to him and seemed to soothe his agitated state; it was like she knew instinctively that she was exactly where she was meant to be. Beside him. With him. Content and at peace around him in a time where no one else was, simply because she knew him and trusted him and maybe even...

He sighed.

Regardless the fact that she was clearly asleep to where he _could_ move or reposition himself however he needed, Levi remained motionless for some time as he watched her sleep, not wanting to cause her to stir any further because he still had _no_ idea what he would say or do in attempts to explain himself and didn't want to take the risk of waking her again while he was so visibly aroused with his own hand down his pants, doing _exactly_ what it looked like he was doing.

As he watched her, looking at her peaceful expression illuminated by the moon's gentle glow, eventually he gave an accepting sigh and his hand fell slack from around him.

Perhaps he didn't need the release as badly as he had thought.

Perhaps, just having her at his side, watching her find comfort in his presence, seeing how she so easily trusted him to watch over her in her compromised, physically weakened state – be it from the surprise of her waking up or his sheer change of spirit, but the previous ache in his groin was already dying down into a warm sort of pulse instead of the all-consuming, burning and aching fire it had been before. It wasn't exactly _comfortable_, but it was tolerable, and Levi found that he was okay with just letting nature take its course and bringing him down from there, because he realized that more than he wanted the pleasure of reaching his climax, more than that he just wanted to be with Petra, the _real_ Petra, and so to pursue after his own desires for a quick fix rather than patiently waiting for her and bringing her the _full _extent of his desire…seemed to outright _cheapen_ what it could be.

He gave a simple shake of his head as he turned on his side toward her, sliding an arm over her hips as he pulled her the rest of the way against his chest more completely, careful to keep his legs bent at an angle that would prevent her from brushing against his still rather prominent erection, as he had no intention of telling her about his dirty little dream, nor his less than admirable response to it in the heat of the moment.

There was a gentleness, a thankfulness to his actions as he carefully brushed the hair out of her face and held her against him, one arm resting over her stomach and the other cradling her shoulder as he embraced her carefully. He took a slight breath, deciding to himself that he didn't _care_ if his words caused her to stir or not - hell, _let_ her hear him, let her know full well what his intentions were, because it wouldn't change a damn thing now that he had his mind made up.

"When that cast comes off," he stated softly as he leaned closer toward her still, his lips brushing against the expanse of her forehead in a whisper of a kiss, "Nothing will stop me from having you, Petra."

At his words, as though understanding him even through the confines of her sleep, he heard a contented 'Mmhm' from the woman resting in his arms, and she even went as far as to give a slight nod in response before shifting again just slightly, moving until her head came to rest directly on top of his chest before she fell perfectly still again.

He gave a slight smile at the way she relaxed into him so easily, and he rewrapped his arms around her carefully to accommodate her adjusted position, admittedly enjoying the way she felt when lying beside him like this. As much as he hadn't wanted to sleep next to her when she had first presented the idea, fearing what would happen and perhaps in some ways, knowing his fears had in fact been validated because his dreams had _more_ than gotten the best of him, even still, he knew that with Petra laying so close to him, her head on his chest and her gentle breathing over his neck, he would fall asleep again, and rather easily.

In truth, he, _perhaps_ at least, could get used to it, and maybe even _enjoy_ it.

…

* * *

End of Chapter

* * *

…

Ayyye yall, remember that little M rating for this story? Yeah. That's a thing and I haven't forgotten about it. And as much as I enjoy (finally) getting to put some physicality in here, because Levi is a very physical person – an additional speech I'm sure I'll get into another day because that's another one of my ride or die Levi rules as an author – but I just honestly…love how this developed, even if it didn't start or end the way poor Levi might have wanted.

Were yall expecting to see character development in a chapter like this? I hope so, because it's there and you can't really miss it. Bummer is, and I_ do_ mean a true bummer, I don't like forcing explicit material down anyone's throats. I somewhat told myself back in the day that as material like this came about, I would make sure that such chapters didn't have anything other than what was happening in the moment, that way for those who wanted to skip over such things, they didn't miss anything important plot wise but…. *insert long sigh*

It's just not going to happen. As scenes like this have come about in later chapters – to neither confirm or deny anything of course – I've found that there's always some very crucial interactions that occur with either one or both of them, because with Levi being really only able to most accurately express himself in a physical manner, to then Petra, who only can accept and return physical affection if her emotions are there to match…it creates a perfect storm where those more explicit moments between them carry _very _important conversations and themes,and I can't sideline in mere attempts to make this story more PG13.

I'm sorry yall, but there's not going to be a way for me to separate such material for a later time, while still keep true to their characters so…yeah? For the most part I get the vibe that my general reading audience is looking forward to their growing physical relationship, so for most of yall business as usual – but for my readers who are not and were hoping for less intimate details, well truly and sincerely, my deepest apologies because you'll have some material to sort though. I can't change it, but I understand any frustrations. None the less, I hope yall enjoyed a more detailed look into where they are right now, and I will see yall next Sunday!

~Mid


	47. The One Where Levi Finally Realizes

Morning everyone!

So yall, take a look at the date, will ya? This time last year, to the day looks like, I updated chapter one and officially set the beginnings of my work out for the reading community. Here we are, one year later, at chapter forty seven and STILL going. Right now, just looking my documents over, it is insanely surreal to me. Happy one year later guys!

Right off the bat, huge thank you to those who commented last week and confirmed that yall appreciated the way last chapter was written out. I was a little nervous about last chapter, because as a lot of you mentioned, it contained some more 'taboo' topics. *scoffs and rolls eyes because society is stupid* As I've said it before, I am a HUGE advocate for proper sexual health, expression, consent, and all the nitty gritty in between – and so I don't plan to write out anything from Levi or Petra's perspective in a way that will shame either one of them, and on that note, I'm not going for the _other _extreme and using this as a platform for my ideals and agenda because that's not why you're here!

As always, I'm focused on writing out my characters, from Erwin and Hanji, to Eld and Oluo, to of course Levi and Petra – to the absolute best of my ability, and if topics with those more grey undertones come around, I'll face them head on like I do everything else here. Still though, as my reading audience, you guys really take me by surprise with your insight, your recognition of what the characters are going through, and your sheer PATIENCE, because lawdy lawdy this story is still going strong. Yall are the best!

…

* * *

…

When Levi had stirred in the morning, he was actually surprised because even _with_ his little episode in the middle of the night, he somehow felt extremely well rested. Granted his body _was_ perhaps a little stiff, sore from the uncommonly high level of demand placed upon him from yesterday's testing, but considering just how exhausted he had been the night previous; he was surprised his muscles weren't all out aching and tense to a much more severe degree.

As alertness came to him, the sleep finally clearing from his mind and restoring his relative functionality, memories of his dream, his thoughts, and even his actions came flooding back to him and Levi bit back a groan, because fuck, for his body to pull _that_ sort of stunt on him, for him to have been so desperate as to have tried handling matters on his own with Petra _right _there, in her room when he himself was a mere guest, _gods_ he needed to get laid.

Even still though, the outcome, the needed reminder that now was _not_ the right time, but the promise that the right time _was_ coming, that would just have to be enough to sedate him, because Petra was still healing from her rather serious injuries, and if he had waited this long, he could wait until she was at least healed properly where she could enjoy the intimacy and the passion to the fullest, rather than merely get through it.

He looked to his side, where Petra was still curled around him even now in a peaceful slumber, and he debated just how long he could get away with laying there and enjoying her closeness. A few minutes passed by, Levi watching her and enjoying her warm against him, and eventually he gave her arm a nudge because some nagging part of him seemed to feel unworthy of such a thing, that waking up to a beautiful woman cradled so trustingly against him was something he had invalidated himself from with his past and misdeeds, and he found himself forcing the moment to an imediate end.

"Oi, Petra. Up. You're drooling on me."

"Nmh?" There was a questioning sort of mumble that came from Petra, and once her mind seemed to register his words, she was sitting up from the bed in alarm, and her eyes scanned him over in concern, because true to his words, there was a small circle of moisture from exactly where her head had been resting. "Oh gods, I'm…I'm terribly sorry Captain!"

Petra didn't seem to know what to do other than stare at him in wide eyed horror, which he supposed was understandable considering he was rather particular about cleanliness and this wasn't exactly something he enjoyed thinking about, feeling an unmistakable wet spot over the front of his shirt, but considering his own atrocities from the night previous, he supposed he owed her a little grace and decided against making her feel guilty about it.

He cleared his throat as he sat up more fully, anxious to get the day started because this oh so casual start to the morning, as though they did this every day, was admittedly confusing, and it seemed Petra thought so too. As he adjusted his position on the bed and tried to move the remaining blanket off him, Petra mumbled some sort of apology when the blanket got caught on her cast, and they both fumbled awkwardly in attempts to free her leg, their hands bumping into the others in the process of trying to fix it. They both jolted at the mirroring, unintentional contact, and they both simultaneously apologized, before once again, reaching toward her cast at the exact same time and bumping into each other just the same.

Gods, they were both at a loss, and it was obvious that neither of them knew what to do. Levi couldn't understand his own unease, because he had had multiple one-night stands that were much more casual and easy going in nature regarding the morning after, and the fact that he felt this uncertain, when nothing had even _happened_ between them last night, was baffling.

Petra gave an awkward laugh, and she made a point of avoiding his gaze as a blush came to her face, "Sorry. Let me get this one Captain. I can't really do much for myself right now, but at least I can get my stupid foot unstuck."

Once she successfully freed her foot from where the fabric had gotten caught on the rough fabric of her cast, she cleared her throat, and it didn't escape his notice that she intentionally moved closer to the wall, pulling her feet up closer toward her body. As though her fumbling, stuttering words weren't enough, her body language was even louder still - she was extremely uncomfortable, as though she could just _sense_ that something was off between them.

"So uh, Captain…" she asked nervously, "Um…How did you sleep last night? Have any good dreams or anything?"

Well. Now_ he_ was uncomfortable.

Regardless his now _racing_ heart, he kept his expression even and managed to respond casually. He shook his head and watched her flatly, "Not really. You?"

She gave a sort of laugh and shrugged, "I think so? I've noticed that my medicine gives me really weird fever dreams – you know, the kind where animals talk, you have a third row of teeth and no one seems to ask why? Yeah, well, I'll spare you the details, but I think I was on a mission from Hanji to find her missing cousin, who turned out to be a royal dragon or whatever? It all made sense five minutes ago, but it's getting a bit hazy now that I'm awake. Super weird."

When Levi stared at her in obvious concern and undisguised confusion for a long moment, as though to say that he had never had a dream like that before, Petra deadpanned at his cool, aristocratic sort of attitude, "Oh no, do_ not _be that guy right now Levi. Come on, seriously? You've never had a really crazy dream like that before? You're staring at me like I've lost my mind!"

He gave a pointed shrug and exhaled in a sort of snort, "Hey, _you're_ the one dreaming about royal dragon hybrids, not me so-"

Petra merely groaned dramatically, and Levi quirked an eyebrow in challenge at her disbelieving stare, "Oh right. And I suppose someone like you only dreams of, what, killing _Titans_ all day?"

At her question, the irony of the words spoken by the same woman that had paid his dreams a rather personal and intimate visit just the night before, Levi shook his head softly, watching her with a rather captivating stare that made his blue eyes shine with unspoken resolve, "Believe me Petra, that's not_ all_ I dream of."

Her expression fell into a notable sort of confusion, because it was obvious there was more to his words than a mere response to her question, but before Petra had the opportunity to question him on what he had meant, Levi moved his feet off the side of the bed and stole a glance toward her in sudden resolve, "Alright, wanna get up? If you can move and get started on getting dressed for the day, I can make the bed. When I'm done with that, if you need any help…?" he nodded down toward her chest intentionally and Petra blinked at the sudden change in conversation, but gave a simple nod in return, seeming to accept that they wouldn't be lingering on his strange answer, nor the rather odd and unsettling start to their morning that made her head spin with sudden questions.

Levi hadn't said anything about it, but Petra remembered his voice waking her just a few moments ago, and remembered that when she woke up, it wasn't in the same spot she had fallen asleep in – near the wall and a comfortable distance away from Levi, underneath her own individual blankets so she wouldn't be stealing his by mistake. No, when she had awoken, she realized that based off their positions, _she_ had migrated over to _him_, where she was sleeping right next to him, against him, under what had once been _his_ blankets, and going as far as to have both her arm and head resting against his chest with a brazen confidence that she _certainly _didn't have in the day.

That was… more than either of them had bargained for, and when Levi had woken her up, it was more than just his accusation that had caused her to rise in sheer alarm.

She wasn't sure how he felt about it – if her being so close to him had bothered him or made him uncomfortable or not – and some part of her found that while she was perhaps curious as to his thoughts, she found that above all she simply didn't want to_ know_ the answer, because not knowing was easier. Be it cowardly, or perhaps a bit of denial, she found she didn't want to even entertain the thought, nor the spark of hope that was growing within her.

Hope for _what_ exactly - even now, she wasn't sure.

As Petra began to scoot off the bed, her thoughts slowing her actions considerably, she decided it was best to _not_ force that conversation to come about and let things fall where they may. After all, they both had responsibilities to see to, and neither of them needed the extra hassle of sorting through what it all had meant, or if it had even meant anything at all.

More than likely, she really was just overthinking it, as she tended to do from time to time. When it came down to it, _she_ had been the one to insist he sleep on the bed, for reasons that were completely unrelated to their relationship, and Levi had eventually agreed, for reasons_ also _unrelated to their relationship. To now try and mentally pick the night apart for hidden meanings and what ifs, seemed almost unfair, and if it hadn't been for the fact that Levi was a mere foot away from her, she may have outright laughed at the conflicted thoughts that plagued her mind because she was clearly grasping at straws.

Factually speaking, there was no reason for her heart to be pounding so fiercely in her chest, like it was doing now. There was no need for the fierce blush she could feel rising to her face, as she wondered just how long she had been pressed up against him like that – debating with herself why, if it was all just_ so_ unrelated to their relationship, he hadn't pushed her away in the night, as though he had _wanted_ her there, perhaps?

No, she was just jumping to conclusions and trying to find meaning or symbolism where there wasn't, because Levi would have told her otherwise, right? There was no need for her mind to curiously try to gauge what his cryptic words had meant a mere moment ago, why he was watching her with that strange expression even now that almost seemed to ask what _she_ was thinking, because he too was curious about her thoughts on the matter.

Levi watched her as she stood from the bed, holding out his arm quietly as she stood, and Petra gave a gentle shake of her head because with the help of the furniture, she could move around her room decently enough, and she was very adamant about using whatever bit of mobility she had left.

Petra carefully stood up from her bed, under Levi's watchful eye, and he watched her in a sort of tense waiting as she began to move toward her closet, as though he was expecting for something to go wrong and ready to catch her at a moment's notice. She used the wooden railing of the bed and then her dresser to move around toward her closet, and she eventually made her way into the small room successfully. While he was grateful she didn't have any issues navigating the few feet on her own, he wasn't prepared for the mental onslaught that came in the next moment, because just like that, Petra began pulling her shirt off from around her, not even bothering to close the closet door first. Granted it was only her back that was exposed considering she was facing away from him, but even still!

Levi blinked in sudden surprise at watching the smooth action, and he quickly turned his attention toward the bed with a snap of his body, intentionally focusing on getting the sheets laid pristinely over the corners of the mattress and the blankets aligned neatly on top of them and certainly _not _on the sound of the shifting fabric that was so steadily coming from behind him even now, his mind already racing with questions because…because what the hell was she up to, disrobing so flippantly without even bothering to check if he were watching or not!

He wasn't sure if he wanted to ignore it, or call her out on it, or lecture her, or what, _thank _her?

He was moving the pillows at the head of the bed in an irritated frenzy, setting them in a line neatly at the fold of the top sheet as he spoke, his voice somewhat clipped from her unintentionally toying with him like this, "Oi, let me know when you're ready."

A few more moments of shuffling could be heard, and finally Petra responded from her closet with a sort of groan, "Thanks. I was hoping that maybe I'd be able to do it myself but my side is still pretty tight so-"

Levi stood up sharply from where he was over the bed, turning over his shoulder and groaning as he saw Petra's bare back, and the yards of fabric splayed around her across the ground, as though she actually _had_ tried to wind the fabric band around herself without assistance.

"Fuck, don't be so damned stubborn Petra, it's not a big deal so don't burst your damn stitches for something like this!" He made his way into her closet in continued frustration, his voice reflecting his heightened irritation as he spoke, and he grabbed the fabric from off the ground and placed the end over her ribs as she had shown him just yesterday. She was staring ahead, but none the less he gave her a dirty glare, hoping she could feel the outright displeasure radiating off from him, "You aren't made of steel, woman. I thought this accident would have proven at least_ that_ much to you. If you're worried about troubling me, don't. You're _not_ a burden, Petra. I don't want to see you getting hurt anymore, so that's why I'm here in the first place. Just…fucking just _trust_ me a little more, okay? I_ am_ your husband after all, so…"

It was as he spoke his words of correction that his eyes landed on a small pile of laundry near her, recognizing her shirt from the night previous, her pajama pants, and somewhere in the bundle of clothes was a simple pair of panties. That detail spoke to him, more than anything else had throughout the entirety of their interaction, because he realized suddenly that that had meant Petra had, while he was _in_ the room, with the door _wide open _no less, stripped down to absolutely _nothing_.

Worse still, he knew full well it wasn't an invitation, no, he was certain Petra would have attempted to murder him if he had taken a peak at her while she was undressing. No, it was _because_ shetrusted him that she had done such a thing at all, and Levi found himself falling bitterly silent, suddenly rather conflicted and not surprisingly, frustrated in more ways than one.

If that's how comfortable Petra felt around him, unintentionally taunting him and being so available yet still so out of reach….

Levi swore his eye twitched and he glared at her outright.

"Are you - you seriously – do you actually think that I'm so disciplined that- Petra, just who the hell do you take me for?" He pressed his lips together and gave an irritated huff, rubbing his temples with his free hand as he growled in defeat, "I take it back. Fuck. Less, Petra - trust me _less!_ Gods, the fuck is wrong with you?!"

…

* * *

…

They had started their purposeful training in the morning, giving him a few undocumented laps to 'warm up' and 'just get back into the swing of things', and Levi learned firsthand that in the event Petra ever did become some variance of a Commanding Officer, assuming that was the route she even wanted to go, he almost pitied her future subordinates, because she was _surprisingly _strict.

They had gone about the morning the same way they had yesterday; Levi completing a lap, Petra and Hanji recording the numbers diligently, except this time, they would actually give him lap for lap feedback then and there. Half the things they told him about his numbers made no damn sense to him, and so at the table he'd nod politely, but then back in the air he would just try to do what felt best, confident in his ability to produce results the same way he _always _had before. His numbers were still top notch at every turn, and for the life of him, he couldn't understand why Petra seemed increasingly frustrated with him.

At one point when he had landed after a completed lap around that same obstacle course that had been created just yesterday for him, Petra had been waiting for him at the nearby table with a scowl on her face and pen in hand, and had demanded to know – in her words – what the hell he was even _doing_ up in the air, because she knew full well he had more to give because she had the data to _prove_ it, and if he was trying to make her look bad, he was more than succeeding because he was putting himself, the Scouts, and her data specifically, to shame and if_ this_ was the performance she could expect, she may as well have just stayed in bed because this was a waste of her time.

Her words had surprised him, greatly, and she hadn't stopped there, oh no. He had gotten _quite_ an earful because she had had it up to _here _with his laziness.

_She_ was working through the pain of broken bones, stitches, the side effects of her medication, because _she_ was taking her job seriously, but apparently _he_ wasn't, because they had already discussed how to keep his efficiencies up and his gas usage low, but she_ must_ have made some sort of mistake because his numbers looked the exact damn same to her and it just didn't make any sense because _surely _Humanity's Strongest was not wasting her time and half assing the material, right?

With crossed arms and a popped hip, she fixed him with a scathing glare and huffed because, what, was she speaking a different _language_ or something? Was there something she had said that made him not _understand _what to do? Had she _not_ mapped out perfectly what actions were required to get the projected results? So what was the problem then? Was it_ her? _Because if so, she would_ love_ to hear what it would take for him to actually take his job seriously, because thus far his results were lack luster at best and she was_ very_ displeased with him.

At her outright chewing him out with absolutely_ no_ regard for their differences in rank, Levi had been so stupefied that he could only blink and gape like a complete idiot, all while trying to get out even a single word between her sarcastic, demeaning questions, because he had no idea what was happening as it had been_ years_ since anyone dared to speak to him so boldly and outright chastise him for his performance.

He was_ always_ a top performer.

Always.

It baffled him that Petra wasn't satisfied. The numbers lined up in a way that confirmed he was preforming the same as yesterday, and that was apparently…_bad? _He himself didn't think his numbers had been something to scoff at, no, he _knew _they weren't – he was Humanity's Strongest for Maria's sake! - and yet Petra seemed to think otherwise and reminded him almost of Erwin with her unimpressed demands, as though seeing some far off goal that was simply beyond him and holding him to a ridiculously high standard as a result.

At first when she began her sudden scathing speech, he had wondered if she was just being aggressive simply because she _could_ be; intentionally having a bit of fun at his expense now that she was in a position where she could command him around, but once a slight smirk came to his face as though silently saying 'Really, Petra?' it _quickly_ came to his realization that she wasn't being difficult for mere show - no, there was_ no_ part of her that found any of this amusing and her reaction to his smug response had proved it.

As it turned out, all too late he realized that she was _legitimately_ frustrated with him. Her mouth had dropped open, and she made a point to remind him that _months_ of her time had been wrapped up in these numbers, and now that they were down to the wire, these results could very well mean life or death for multiple impacted squads, and he was fucking _laughing_ about it? Was something funny to him; some joke that he felt the need to share with her, now of all times? No? So apparently, he was _happy_ to be standing in the way of the proof she needed so badly, he was _happy _to send Scouts off to their graves, and if that was how it was, then 'so help me Captain' come the time that they had to knock on the doors of the deceased's surviving family after wasting all her time and having nothing to show for it, she would_ personally_ ensure that he himself apologized to each and every single one of them!

At the end of her fury driven tirade, Petra tapped on her clipboard with her nails in a drum of irritation and watched him with narrowed eyes, asking him indignantly if he was just going to stand there gaping, or if she needed to explain it all again because _apparently_ her first explanation hadn't been good enough, so perhaps she needed to break it down for him even further. Was that what he was saying to her? Because it_ sounded _like that's what he was saying to her.

Levi found himself clearing his throat, and almost _fearfully _responding with a mix of words that came out in a jumbled stutter, "Uh, no, no ma'am" because with the look she watched him with, he was indeed more than thrown off by her threatening demeanor and did not want to find out what would happen if he pushed her even further with his, apparently, subpar results.

She had given a firm nod and exhaled as though merely _placated _by his confirmation, before scratching more numbers in her clip board and giving a curt, "Well? Get moving Captain. Show me some damned results already!"

As he walked back toward the supply tanks, still wondering what the hell was happening as he switched his gear and prepared for yet another lap, he found himself stealing a glance over his shoulder and shaking his head in wonder. Petra was huddled over the table, one hand over her forehead as she stared into her folder narrowly, Hanji coming up and placing a hand on her shoulder as they discussed who knows what, and Petra shrugged out of her hold, giving an exasperated sort of shrug as she held up the folder and discussed the matter further in some heated debate with the concerned Scientist.

Levi watched her still for an extended moment as his gas tanks were exchanged and fitted for his next go around, not paying much attention to the attendant as they fitted the equipment around him, his gaze merely settled on the woman that took her job so seriously that at times it put even _him_ to shame.

The attendant gave a sudden laugh, "The Mrs. gave you a proper chewing out, did she?" the man gave him a slap on the back and continued, "Gotta say, your wife over there is as fiery as they come, Captain. I'm not sure there are many in the regiment that would dare get in your face like she did, though I guess it_ would_ take a strong woman to stand side by side in arms with someone like you. Don't take this the wrong way Captain, but your wife, well, the Scout's are lucky to have her, and so are you. She's quite the woman."

Levi found he couldn't tear his eyes away from his flustered subordinate, her frustrated words still ringing in his ear, and he simply gave a subtle nod, all but whispering to himself at the man's well worded observation, "Yeah. Yeah she is."

…

* * *

…

The first few hours of his training hadn't seemed to go well, if Petra's less than amicable mood had meant anything.

Still though, he had to hand it to her, because after her scathing words and pinpointed confrontation, she certainly had his attention. From then on, Levi had tried to focus less on his own gut instincts and rather on the specific instructions that Petra had been giving him with in regards towards her collected data. He wasn't sure what differences she was really thinking she'd actually see, or if changing this or that really _would_ keep his efficiencies up while keeping his gas usage even _lower_ than yesterday, but he supposed that wasn't _his _problem. After a dressing down like that, he _would_ do it her way, all the way, and when it all went to hell, he had bitterly decided that that would be _her_ problem and he would refuse to get involved any further.

Regardless his admitted skepticism, it had taken a few laps of refocusing his efforts and trying to gauge how to turn her advice into physical alterations, but as he checked in with the table below after each completed lap for any further feedback, Petra's previous anger had morphed into a studious sort of puzzlement.

To his amazement, just like that, his numbers began changing. Subtle changes, granted, but changes none the less.

Once his numbers began to alter, as Levi heeded her words and advice more keenly, Petra was more helpful and understanding, proactively looking for ways to fix the numbers further rather than jump to outright attacking him with her words again. He would stop by the table, breathless and exhausted at the completion of a lap, and Petra would nod and pat the bench beside her, so he could sit down as she gave him tailored feedback – try letting off the gas here and coasting, adjust your angle to a sharper degree and you'll pick up speed – and they continued to make subtle adjustments at every turn.

They had remained focused and driven until sometime later, Petra confirmed that for both their sakes, Levi's and her own, it was time they take a break because with the medicine officially clouding her mind, it was getting hard for her to focus, and he was clearly exhausted. He hadn't tried to act otherwise or deny her claims, because it was obvious that her words were true, and with a grateful nod, he had dropped off his gas tanks and blades and moved to Petra's side near the table so he could take her back with him.

They were walking to the compound and Petra continued to babble about the results thus far, Hanji's thoughts, ideas they had brainstormed for the last half of the day - generally speaking her thoughts out loud as a way to organize them, more than actually conversing with him, and Levi felt a conflicted expression pull across his face as thoughts of his own muddied the waters of his mind.

Seeing the less than thrilled expression he suddenly wore and believing it to be in response to some of her listed theories, Petra gave a sigh and looked up toward him with a passing glance between her ever-growing pages of data.

"Ah, I'll take that as a no from you then." she mumbled out with a laugh, still looking over numbers to the best of her ability from within the rather limited space between their bodies as he was carrying her yet again, "But for real, you really don't think that would work? Not even worth a single lap for grins and giggles? Maybe if we instead-"

Levi cleared his throat and shook his head as he allowed his gaze to fall onto hers, "No, sorry it wasn't that. It was…something else I was thinking about."

"Something else?" Petra asked with a surprised expression, bringing the folder in her hands to a close and looking up toward him in concern, "Is everything okay? I'll warn you now, you know it's that time of day where my heads a little spacey, and I know I'm sort of rambling and I don't know when to shut up because being around you makes my head all blurry because it's you and, well,_ you_ know how gorgeous you are, but if there's something that you need to say then just-"

He ignored her rambling and cut her off with a pensive, slow shake of his head because he had much deeper matters on the mind than Petra hitting on him once again. "Petra, you're looking at numbers, just numbers on a page, and yet you're successfully using it to alter real life performance on a consistent basis. Between today and yesterday, there's undeniable improvement in the _exact_ variables you were testing, and that's with someone like _me_, in areas where I would have thought that I was already as close to efficient as I could have possibly been. Have you realized that? Even _with_ someone of my skill level, you're _still_ seeing results where I assumed there could be none. That's impressive, and being the test subject in question, without even looking at the numbers I can tell you firsthand that it's not a fluke. You really, truly are on to something here."

Petra remained silent as she watched him curiously, as though not certain where he was going with his words, because his _words_ were that of praise, yet his tone and expression confirmed that something was not quite right, as though the fact that she had proven him wrong to some extent had worried him.

The Captain continued, "You've been doing the same thing with the squad for some time now - using the data that we track each week to highlight areas for improvement; able to point out both the cause and the solution with a mere passing glance at the charts. We both know it's not mere coincidence, you know how to look at data and transpose it into real life situations to get the desired results. But that's not all. You do all of this while still - for the most part at least – being a top performer on my squad in terms of speed, stamina, and sheer instinct. You use your body as a weapon on the battlefield, and even when you're off it and we're months away from an Expedition, now you have a sharp formidable mind that is comparable to that of Erwin and Hanji."

When Petra merely bit her lip and watched him almost meekly, embarrassed by his recollection of her evolving role in the Scouts, Levi looked down at the woman in his arms in practical disbelief, "Petra, that's_ quite_ a skillset."

It seemed to take Petra a moment to come to terms with all he had said, and she gave a slow, hesitant nod at his rather intense stare, "Well, yes. I suppose that is true. But truly Captain, there's a lot of variables in and of itself to consider, and you can't forget that it's up to the person to make those adjustments, and that's really the most important variable because numbers are just numbers if they don't lead to change. All I _really _do is just point out the data and explain how to impact and target that number going forward so-"

Levi looked at the path ahead, an almost irritated expression across his face as he spoke over her, because she was missing the point in her dismissive humility, not at all seeing the larger problem at hand. "Exactly. Petra, how is it that I've been your Captain for over five years now, and I never once realized you had these skills? You've been learning data and backend documentation for just shy of, what, four months, five perhaps – and you're already keeping up with Erwin and Hanji and…fuck, you really don't see it, do you?"

He shook his head with a far off expression, and he exhaled lowly, "Earlier today when you were coaching me, I was getting frustrated because I thought you were wasting your time and trying to pull results out of thin air to placate _your_ need for success. It's not that I don't think you're intelligent, but I really didn't know what to expect in terms of change because I really thought that perhaps you were just going through the motions, considering both Hanji and Erwin seemed optimistic and gave you false hope so you wanted to show them that you at least gave it all an honest effort. And yet here we are now, where the numbers alone are one thing, but what's more, I could just _tell_; I could_ feel_ it when I was up there. The way you said to do things were _legitimately_ working and when I realized that you knew more about it all than I did, that _you_ were the one coaching _me_…"

Levi trailed off, and Petra somewhat adjusted herself in his arms, giving him a questioning stare as she spoke hesitantly, "Is that what this is all about, the fact that even someone like you has areas that can be improved upon? Captain, I know you aren't one for arrogance or pride, and I know you don't mean it to come off like that, but for the record, of _course_ you aren't perfect. Everyone has areas that can be improved upon, _everyone_, Captain. I was giving you a hard time earlier because I knew you were holding back, and when this many lives are on the line, we can't afford for you to be modest with your abilities. It's just…the fact that the numbers proved you have areas to work on, I hope you don't feel like, I don't know, that you've failed in your role as a Scout or something because that wasn't what-"

Levi stopped walking then, and he looked down at her seriously, fixing her with a direct stare that caused the breath to catch in her lungs, because it was clear that she still wasn't getting it, and he watched her incredulously, internal conflict clear in his gaze as he tried to verbalize his musings, "I don't feel that I've failed as a _Scout_, I feel that I've failed as your _Captain_ \- failed _you_ specifically. I've been building up your body, sure, but that's only one _half _of your skillset and the other half has been laying untouched and dormant for the entire _history_ of your being on my squad because I wasn't paying close enough attention."

Petra opened her mouth, but Levi shook his head, because he knew he wasn't being modest or searching for compliments – no, he could see it all so clearly and she needed to understand that he had truly _failed_ her, "Petra, listen to me. I _should_ have seen it because the hints _have_ been there, for years, and looking back it's a wonder that I_ didn't_ notice because it was staring me straight in the face from day one; the fact you were always so driven by your own recorded numbers, the way you can point out flaws in a formation and give a solution to almost any tactical problem we face - it's been five months since you've delved into a position of being surrounded by data and you're already working with _Erwin_; imagine where you'd be now after five _years_, if I had just-"

"Oh, so you want to know where I'd be? That's easy enough to figure out; I'd be _home_, Levi." Petra cut him off squarely with a perturbed glare of sudden accusation, "If you had done anything differently, put me in research, grew my career or tried to align me under Erwin or Hanji, if you did anything other than what's led us up to this very moment, I'd be discharged and at home with my dad, probably bussing tables or_ quilting_ of all things. Is that what you want for me? Is that what you're saying?"

Levi groaned, "No Petra, I don't mean that. It's just-"

"Alright Levi, so just stop already." she interjected yet again, her medicine seeming to give her a rather audacious sense of confidence, because the normal Petra would have at least let him finish _speaking _before she corrected him like this, "Look, I'm really sorry Captain; I get that you're trying to have a moment or whatever and are trying to convince me that you're the absolute worst, but I won't hear a word of it because you've done _everything_ for me; you've changed my life in the best of ways and hearing you regret it or second guess yourself just ticks me off because I'm very proud of where I am right now and I don't need you taking that away from me by wondering where I'd be if I hadn't gotten a 'late start' or whatever."

He blinked at her curt explanation that seemed to lessen her achievements, and he shook his head, "Oh well, I wasn't meaning that-"

"I know," she conceded stubbornly, "And that's why I stopped you from being an idiot. Don't beat yourself up Captain. I didn't know I had these types of skills either, so you can't blame yourself for any of it. Whether there were hints or whatever traits existed that you feel you should have noticed or acted upon, what's done is done and it's for the best because I love you, you know, being my Captain, being on your squad, being the guy I work with and report under; I just love all of it."

Levi wasn't sure if she had_ heard _her words, if she was at all aware of what she had said, aware that it had come _very_ close to sounding like she was saying something else _entirely_, but before he could respond one way or another, Petra brought a hand up to the side of his face, running her hand down his jaw as she shook her head in wonder, "Gods, you're _so_ handsome Levi. Damn, I just can't stop looking at you. When we get back to my room, you wanna make out?"

His mouth fell open at the sudden change of conversation, the outright boldness of her request, though all at once the stress, the guilt, the anxiety of what was to come, of what was only a matter of time, left him in an exhale because…only Petra.

"Yeah." He responded evenly, not bothering to put up pretenses of his own and just accepting her offer flat out, "Yeah, I kinda do."

…

* * *

…

Well look at that, an absolute buffet of material to sort though.

This chapter is like four little chapters in one – all too short to make their own chapter, yet equally important because they all have their own important themes and revelations. Especially that last one.

Yall know I like my long author's notes, and I was thinking that when this story is over, I will plan on having one more update _exclusively_ over things that I couldn't really comment on the first run around – symbolisms, foreshadowing, maybe answer any questions yall have, that sort of thing. It's not like there are any 'secrets' here that I can't talk about now, but one day I'll come back to chapters like this and give a little bit more dialogue from my perspective, because man on man, this one's important and I look forward to shedding more light on subjects when the full plot is laid out once and for all.

For now though, I'll sign off. You are all so very appreciated in my writing journey! Thanks for being here and growing with me, after a full year of updates and writing and craziness :)

~Mid


	48. The One Where The Results Are In

Hello my lovely readers!

Happy, happy Sunday. Hope you guys had an awesome week and that your weather wasn't as crummy as mine. It was sunny, then it was snowing, then raining, then sunny and warm again. While I appreciate the diversity and am used to the weirdo weather that comes with being from the Midwest, my allergies are going INSANE and I am waving the white flag because yall, this is going to end me.

Quick note here, I think last time I made an announcement regarding future updates, I believe I said that weekly updates would continue at least until March? Well, now that February is just about over, I figured it's time we look at what's practical again. After review and some SERIOUS focus, I'm pleased to say that I've still got a good amount of material written out in advance, where I can comfortably continue weekly updates until the end of May. As always, come that time, I'll look at my material and see where we're at.

Anywho, yall enjoy!

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* * *

…

It was getting later in the day, late enough that the sun was cresting down and causing deep shadows to paint the forest with golden rays of light. It had been hours without stop. Hours of fixing. Hours of rerunning. Hours of frustration, and explanations, and 'just try once more' - even though it was never _once_ more, at all.

Hanji and Petra would show him diagrams, and they'd all debate back and forth what the true difference was between numbers and application. He would give his feedback, his eyebrows creased in thought as he would confirm that what they were asking wasn't physically _possible_, but maybe if they looked at a different section, because what he was doing _there_ felt right; didn't tire him out and was producing the desirable results, so if they could work with that and duplicate those results, then maybe that would work instead.

Petra and Hanji would nod at his feedback, start running some numbers, debate probabilities and various complicated strings of mathematical statistics, and then one of the women would try to translate their new idea, explaining how to adjust his footwork or other solutions that may continue to rework his final numbers more in their favor.

When Levi had landed on the ground from his most recently completed circuit, his assistant that had been assigned to help him reload his blades and gas tanks with each new lap - something Hanji had come up with in effort to save time, as gods forbid he have more than two minutes after each lap to recover - was already waiting for him with an expectant stare. "Well done, Captain. Impressive as always; I think this was your fastest lap yet," he stated with a nod, "Your wife wanted me to let you know that with that, she has all the data needed so now they are all waiting at the table for you, whenever you're ready of course."

Levi gave a nod, his response not so much one of agreement or from a place of authority, so much as a mere acknowledgement that he had in fact heard the man. After running laps all day, whereas Petra had predicted he was moving both quicker and more efficiently than he had the day previous, Levi was once again standing at the absolute edge of his limits. He took a deep, stabilizing breath as he placed an arm across the base of a nearby tree, thoroughly spent from the intense demands of their data mining because after back to back days of all-day drills like this, he was ready to drop.

From around him, the attendant pulled the gas canisters off him, unlatching the blades from his sides – something that would have traditionally bothered Levi considering the close contact, and for something so simple that he _really _could do on his own, but with how exhausted he was, he hardly even flinched as the man reached around his sides and removed the extra equipment from off of him, "I will run the equipment back to be properly weighed and cared for. Petr – oh, sorry, Mrs. Ackerman I mean, said that if it was okay with you, I could take my leave for the night afterward?"

Levi took a breath to respond, and gave a shallow nod, "That's fine."

The Scout walked away after an unneeded salute, and once the man was a safe distance away and near the forest clearing, Levi took another deep breath, feeling his arms and legs tremble and quake from sheer exhaustion. It was interesting, he realized after a moment of thought, he knew himself well of course – knew his capabilities and where his limitations stood, but it seemed that _Petra_ was starting to learn those lines as well, as it was now back to back days where she had properly wagered how much he had to give, and refused to allow him to back down even a moment sooner and kept him persistently running laps until he physically couldn't anymore.

He wasn't sure if that made him more proud, or outright terrified, because if she was going to be in a position where she was running more theoretical scenarios in the future and would be turning to him as a resource, then she was almost as dangerous as Hanji. No, _more_ so, he corrected himself with sudden realization and dread, because with Hanji, at least he could tell her no, but with _Petra_...

He gave a quiet exhale and carefully walked out from the training grounds, toward the area that Hanji and Petra had made their unofficial landing spot for data and numbers. Whereas yesterday had been spent just tracking the numbers in preparation for today, now that they had a solid foundation to work with, they had made a point of putting the numbers to immediate work that was adjusted and tweaked with every new lap.

Whatever the final outcome was, success or failure, Levi knew it was a completed matter that was out of his hands. He knew outright that there was an undeniable degree of success to her theory, that Petra's idea of intentionally training gas conservation in a manner that wouldn't sacrifice their speed or mobility had undoubtedly showed signs of being effective – however, the question remaining was, would it be _enough_ to meet the demands of the government's thirteen percent ratio?

He could only hope.

When he moved out into the clearing, Levi was admittedly surprised to see that Erwin was also present, standing over Hanji with one arm down on the surface of the table as he stared over her shoulder and reviewed the numbers with a serious expression on his face. He could see the trio conversing, each holding their own pages of numbers in front of them and speaking back and forth with those same focused expressions, and Levi couldn't gauge if the outcome was positive or negative with one single passing glance.

When Levi slowly walked toward the table, his actions more stiff than he would have liked but knowing that it couldn't be helped, Erwin looked up toward him and gave a large smile, "Ah Captain, welcome back. We were all just looking at the data gathered throughout the day. Looks like the first few hours were pretty monotonous, but once the ball got rolling we're seeing some undeniable changes to your metrics. How do you feel?"

Levi gave a guarded nod as he continued walking toward the table with pained steps, "Like I've been put under the mercy of sadists who_ have _no mercy to give. How the fuck do you _think_ I feel?"

Erwin chuckled and motioned toward him with the paper in his hand, "Well your numbers are top notch Levi, as expected. I'm not sure I would have believed that choosing you as the test subject was the right way to go, but after looking at these numbers, I get it. This is impressive."

As Levi neared the table, he looked at the Commander and crossed his arms, "Enough with the posturing Erwin, you're just blowing smoke to piss me off because you know full well that I don't want the pep talk, I want the results. If we focused our training for the entire regiment, under the same format and watchful eye that Petra used on me today, would it actually work? You have been running the data all day so I _know_ you've got the answer."

There was a pause that followed his question, and Levi wanted to groan as they each looked to Erwin to explain. Erwin cleared his throat and set the page down, "Your data today Levi, with Petra's coaching and guidance, your efficiencies increased by two percent – not something we are terribly worried about, as we mainly just don't want to see a trend of efficiencies _decreasing_ as a result of this new methodology when using the 3DM gear." Levi nodded in understanding, as though urging the blonde to get to the point, and Erwin continued, "And as for your gas utilization, come this last hour you were consistently using an average of five percent less per lap, than you were the day before."

"Five percent?" Levi repeated, his eyebrows furrowing together in an immediate sort of frustration, and he tried not to look too disappointed, because Petra was right there and he knew that the wrong reaction from _him_ would damage her far more than she would care to admit, especially with Erwin and Hanji around.

He kept his expression even, and he gave a thoughtful exhale, "Alright. So what's the plan? Do we-"

As he spoke, he felt his head spinning and he gave a forced cough, trying to clear his head as he placed a hand down on the table to steady himself. Though he would have thought his reaction to his own fatigue was kept minimal, Petra wasn't fooled and took a sharp inhale as she stood up, pushing off her arms as she rounded the corner and came to stand by his side, her voice hushed but laced with concern, "Captain, are you okay? Here, take a seat."

"Petra, I'm fine."

"But I'm just-"

"Petra."

She sighed, "…Fine, Captain."

Levi took another breath and turned his attention back to Erwin, who was watching the pair with a quirked eyebrow, but said nothing to their hushed squabbling, "Commander, what more needs to be done, or has it been officially concluded that this isn't enough to change our present circumstances?"

"Levi…" Petra opened her mouth, a new expression across her face that confirmed she wasn't referring to his standing; now she was responding to his concern about the lacking results, and Levi gave her a nod.

"Petra, it's fine. You've done more than enough, and we all knew from the beginning that it was a long shot. Even still, saving the five percent will-"

Suddenly, a musical laugh cut him off – Hanji – and the scientist stood up, "Levi, Levi stop. Your gas utilization decreased a whole five percent, that's huge!"

He allowed his attention to turn to Hanji, and he tried not to sigh, because if they were saying those things just to patronize Petra, to let her down easy, he knew it would only make it hurt worse for her in the long run. He watched Hanji with a dark, ominous stare, because he of all people knew how to coach his subordinate, and he didn't need their gentle, soft spoken tactics. "Perhaps, but the government is needing a decrease of thirteen percent, not five. What, are you hoping to implement the training and then reinstate a few of the impacted squads back to having full gas utilization again – as much as the five percent allows?"

From beside him, there was a warm laugh from Petra, and Levi suddenly got the feeling that he was not understanding something, because all three of them were now watching him with bemused expressions. Petra shook her head and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Captain, you yourself were the perfect test subject, because we knew you were _already_ so efficient with your gas utilization. Of _course_ more of our basic cadets have inefficiencies that can be drastically improved upon, so the numbers would have been all over the place and hard to pin in terms of constants. What we really needed was someone who _is _talented. We needed to understand how this training impacted someone like you, Captain - someone who isn't wasting gas, and someone who performs solidly and consistently, with high marks across the board in every area. We knew that if we saw tangible results in someone like yourself, we would see results, and _good_ results, in everyone, without fail, without exception."

Levi took in her explanation, a sort of suspicion coming to his face, and when Petra merely smiled at his cautious expression, he turned his gaze to Erwin, and the blonde gave a nod.

"Levi, it will work."

The Captain felt a sort of confusion come over him, a sudden glimmer of hope growing within him, and Erwin smiled as he looked toward Petra in continued confirmation, "Seems like your wife came through for us in the end, just as I had expected she would. Took a bit of pushing from all sides, but…" Erwin nodded toward her proudly, "I'm _quite_ pleased."

Levi felt his jaw fall slack as he realized that Petra had actually _done_ it, she had truly solved the Regiment's dilemma with the gas shortage; something he had been _beyond_ certain was far above her abilities, and Hanji spoke next as Levi still tried to come to terms with the new information, "The reality is if we can see five percent in someone like yourself, someone who was nearly perfect in their gas utilization; we spent some time comparing your numbers to the Regiment on a wholistic level, and we estimate that after completing this training, the Regiment will likely save anywhere from fourteen to sixteen percent on a monthly basis – keeping us well within the government's demands for the rationing."

"Commander," Petra's voice grabbed his attention, and Levi looked down at Petra in a sort of wonder as she spoke hesitantly, "With these results, does this finally mean that…"

Erwin nodded, "Yes, Petra. This means that no squads will be barred from gas, and no squads will have mandatory cross training either. I'll work with Hanji tonight to mobilize fellow Officers who can be trained, then turn around to facilitate training alongside yourself and Levi. Come tomorrow, we will aggressively start that specialized training and try to have the whole Regiment adjusted just as quickly as we are able. The sooner the better."

Erwin gave a chuckle at the now beaming smile across Petra's face, and he set down the papers in his hand onto the table with a warm expression, "You _should_ be very proud of yourself, Mrs. Ackerman. The Scouts have a bright future and will have a true fighting chance at the next Expedition, and it's all thanks to you. I expect great things from you Petra; I'm certain this is only the beginning."

Hearing his words and feeling a sudden rush of what Petra was certain was a sort of euphoria, she gave a jump of excitement from her not broken ankle and threw her arms around Levi in a sudden, leaping embrace as she praised him outright in undisguised glee, "Captain, we did it! We actually, really did it!"

Levi felt the air knocked out of him and he gave a cough of surprise at her sudden advance, though as Petra began to wrap her arms around him and fall into him completely from her previous leap, his legs wobbled outright and buckled from underneath him at the additional weight and momentum, sending both himself and Petra to the ground in an immediate heap.

There was a sharp gasp from Petra at their sudden landing, and Levi tensed in immediate alarm.

"Petra!" he exclaimed in surprise, pushing up from the ground hurriedly with his forearms to look over her form, fearing that he may have landed on her or that she had torn her stitches in their sudden fall, "Fuck, are you _insane?_ What are – Shit, are you oka-"

Petra's sudden laughter cut him off, and he exhaled in relief as she carefully looked up, still resting across his stomach and laughing all the more at his wide-eyed reaction. Her smile grew mischievous and she beamed, "Am I _okay_? First the data comes back with positive results where we have a tangible path ahead, and as if that alone wasn't enough, now I get to legitimately say that I knocked Humanity's Strongest on his ass, while I had a broken ankle of all things? Captain, I'm feeling _great!_"

Without even thinking, Petra leaned toward him and pressed her lips against his outright, seeming to forget they were in the midst of Levi's peers, forgetting that she was supposed to behave, and while the Captain flinched in surprise, alarmed and uncertain how he felt about the _very_ public display of affection in front of Four Eyes and his own boss, Levi found that regardless his own discomfort, regardless the fact that he really never intended on putting his private, growing and changing relationship with her on full display, he just couldn't push her away. Her joy, her success, her excitement was so sincere and pure, so hard fought and deserved, that even though he could feel the smug stares of a certain Scientist and know it all Commander, even though he knew he'd be subjected to days of their taunts and jeers, he couldn't find it in himself to pull back, and with a sigh, Levi closed his eyes and returned her kiss intentionally, because regardless his reservations, it would _mean_ something to her and he couldn't take that away from her just because he wanted to save face.

When she pulled away a moment later, a shy, nervous smile on her lips and a blush staining her cheeks, it seemed that she remembered they had company, and Levi sighed at her admittedly cute and remorseful response, because her sincere innocence never ceased to catch him off guard, and when she watched him like that with her large green, flustered eyes…he just couldn't be mad at her.

He cleared his throat and sat up, intentionally changing the subject in attempts to put his wife at ease, "I hate to burst your bubble Petra, but for the record, you did _not _knock me on my ass. Not officially at least. We weren't in a sparring match, you're off duty, this _hardly_ counts."

"What do you mean it doesn't count?" the petite woman defended shrilly as she sat up from the ground in a sort of offended pout, "Where are all these stipulations coming from all of the sudden? What, it's only valid if there's a licensed notary on scene, witnesses, and a damned blood oath? What kind of bullshit is this? I knocked you to the ground, on your ass, fair and square!"

There was a gruff chuckle from Erwin from across the table, "You know if it helps Petra, I _am_ in fact a licensed notary and I'd be happy to legalize an official statement if need be. From my perspective, it certainly looks like you took him down easily enough. Have to say, I expected more of you Levi. You can easily take out Titans that are over ten times your size, and can't even stand up to your own wife. Wouldn't have expected that."

Levi rolled his eyes at the Commander's words and stood up from the ground cautiously, his actions slowed by his fatigue; something the Ackerman tried to play off to the best of his ability. "I'd like to see you do that same circuit a hundred plus times and be able to walk out like this. My guess is you would have passed out before lunch."

Erwin smirked and gave a casual shrug, "Probably, but at least I wouldn't have been taken out by a shrimp like Petra – no offense, Petra."

There were a few snorts from both Petra and Hanji, and Levi's expression darkened all the more. He turned toward his wife, who was still on the ground, and with one hand on the table to steady himself, Levi extended his other hand toward her and pulled her up carefully, being certain to not over tax himself because he didn't want her falling again and injuring herself.

Erwin collected all the papers across the table and gave an accomplished exhale, "Well, it's been a long few days for everyone, and as exciting as these results are, I'm sure we all have better things to do than just sit here at this table and make jokes at Levi's expense – although I know we all have a soft spot for that one."

Again Levi rolled his eyes, and Petra placed a hand on his shoulder, leaning on him slightly as she watched him with a pleased smile. Her voice was hushed, but laced with adoration and sincerity, and any irritation Levi had regarding being laughed at left him instantly, "No, you were amazing Levi. I couldn't have done any of this without you, thank you so much. For real. You'll have to let me know, you know, how I can repay you. This means more to me than you know, and I know it wasn't easy."

Hearing her hushed words, Erwin merely smiled and gave Hanji an expectant nod, knowing that it was the appropriate time for them to bow out and leave the Ackermans to their own devices. "We'll go ahead and take our leave for the night; I'm sure you both want to get a jump on your celebrations after all. You two have fun, and we'll see you tomorrow morning."

As the blonde walked away, Hanji walking beside him step for step, Levi tried to ignore the underlying meaning to the Commander's assumptive words, and he took an accepting breath, looking over toward Petra curiously because irritating or not, Erwin had a point.

"So Petra…I don't know what sounds fun to you, but I suppose Erwin is right. In terms of celebrating or whatever, you've earned it and it's only fair that I support your success. Want to round up the squad, grab a few drinks? If you're wanting to stay here, well…maybe…Oh, it's been a while since you've all had a poker night, right?" Levi thought for a moment and frowned at his own words, speaking in a pensive mumble as he shook his head in sudden correction, "Wait, no. You've got a shitty poker face and Eld cleans you out every time because he knows you too well and you're a total _sucker_ for his baiting."

Petra grumbled at his comment, and he continued, "So, something else that _doesn't_ involve you padding that bastard's pockets."

Levi thought some of their options over, finding that he wasn't _exactly_ keen on going out on the town; going to a bar or club and staying up late into the night with drinks on hand as he carted Petra around and tried to survive his team's drunken shenanigans. As irritating as the men could, and undoubtedly _would_ be, he supposed there was benefit to bringing the whole squad along. At the very least, it would help keep Petra well protected in her attempts to unwind and celebrate, because Maria only knew how many men would try to hit on the beautiful ginger; offer to show her a good time and make suggestive remarks because her injury made her such an easy target where she couldn't escape their sleezy remarks without significant difficulty.

Aside from that, Petra had always seemed to legitimately enjoy her relationship with the squad, and considering the Squad had also supported her over the past few months, cut her some slack when she was ill-tempered, helped her with her cleaning duties, and showed her nothing but support and encouragement after her accident just a few days ago. In some ways, it really was the whole Squad's success and not just Petra's alone.

Although on the other hand, if they_ didn't_ invite the squad to come along, it would just be the two of them. That _also_ had undeniable perks of its own, and Levi fiddled with the idea of taking Petra out; finding some new location she had never been to, sitting far too close to her and blaming it on the lack of seating because the bars in town were always just _so_ damn crowded. He'd pull her back against him, run his nose up her neck, smell the alcohol on her breath, whisper a low few words of encouragement against her skin that she alone would hear, and he'd watch her blush because she'd be so embarrassed under the weight of his complete attention that she'd stutter and try her best to pretend she wasn't impacted by him in the slightest.

Maybe he'd kiss her then, in public, because what did he care, or maybe he wouldn't. The options were endless, and if he was going to go out then-

"Captain, I'm sorry to be so lame, but I'm exhausted and I don't trust myself to be in public while I'm still taking my pain medicine. I suppose we _should_ do something though, I mean, it's a big deal and I've been working on this project for a while now. Maybe…say, I've got some chocolate in my room that I've been saving for a rainy day – how about we split that, call it a day and just go to bed?"

When Levi turned toward her in surprise, Petra misread his expression and gave a guarded laugh, "That is to say, unless you'd rather do something else? What are you thinking? You certainly did the brunt of the work, so whatever you want is…just fine."

_Whatever he wanted?_ Levi tried not to groan, and he shook the sudden thoughts right out of his head because he knew she hadn't meant _that._

"No, no I was just…surprised is all. No, what you said first is perfect. I suppose I can talk a big game, but I'm beat. You and Four Eyes don't mess around and after back to back days of your data collecting, a quiet night in sounds pretty ideal, if you're certain you're okay with that. Hold the chocolate though. You can keep that to yourself because I'm not a big fan of sweets."

The ginger's eyes widened and she looked outright insulted, "Wait, for real? You don't like chocolate? Have you…_had_ it before? Levi, it's amazing!"

The Captain returned her stare with a perturbed look of his own, "What do you mean have I had it – yes, I've had chocolate before. It's not _bad_ it's just…overwhelming. The most I can do is choke it down, and if you're hoarding it for a special occasion like this because you're such a fan of it, then you shouldn't waste any on me."

She wore a thoughtful expression, "Are you sure, Captain? I don't mind sharing."

He nodded, "I'm sure. Indulge or whatever. You've earned it."

She bit her lip in sudden anticipation, and Levi almost rolled his eyes at her obvious excitement, having had no idea that she was so obsessed with the sugary substance.

As Levi carefully grabbed her, much to Petra's alarm because she was certain that he was just trying to show off because she knew he was exhausted – something that perhaps wasn't an _incorrect_ assumption – Levi shook his head at her prattling on about how chocolate was probably the greatest thing in the world and he just hadn't had the right kind yet because there was no way he could legitimately_ not_ like chocolate, well, he decided quietly that he would just have to take her out, maybe, some other time.

He took a few steps, his face showing signs of sudden intent and he looked down toward the woman in his arms with a strange expression that made her blush outright. He paused in place and spoke in a low whisper, "Oh, and before I forget…"

He allowed himself to lean into her ever so slightly, and as he felt Petra take a breath of surprise, he smirked against the skin of her neck, his lips tracing her skin as he spoke.

"Congratulations, Mrs. Ackerman."

…

* * *

End of Chapter

* * *

…

*happy sigh*

Yes, congratulations indeed Petra. Man yall, this arc (in case yall haven't noticed lol) is a BEAST and so if only because I had to write it out word by word, man oh man does this chapter make me smile because it was a LONG time coming for Petra and I love finally, finally getting to write out that success for her, and finally sharing it with yall, because you've walked that path with her step by step.

I'll go ahead and sign off. Thanks for your time, encouragement, and showing up each week like yall do, because it pushes me to keep writing and making sure that I am giving it my all. Till next time!

~Mid


	49. The One With Nothing Left Behind

Morning guys!

Sorry for the somewhat lateish upload. I usually try to upload at least an hour before now if not sooner – its usually how I kick off my Sundays. Cup of coffee, toddler trying to make my final 'edits' as I keep batting their grubby hands away from the keyboard, last sweeping read and BAM. Today though, for whatever reason, I really had to slow down and REALLY reread this chapter from a deep diving perspective – for reasons I'm not even sure of myself because I wrote and edited this chapter probably back in November and it's pretty solid soooo. *shrug*

Either way, I've learned to listen to my writer's intuition on that front, so I really slowed it down this morning, added a few paragraphs here and there, adjusted some word choices and though the differences are subtle, and I'm pleased. I hope that's what my brain was looking for? We shall see.

Either way, enjoy the read!

…

* * *

…

It had been an exhausting and demanding line up to be sure, but even still, it was without a doubt one of the singular most exciting points of Petra's career.

Since working out the testing with Levi and seeing that the training would in fact work, Erwin had truly shown himself strong as the Commander and wasted no time in implementing the new action plan just as quickly as possible. He was able to expertly facilitate exactly how the training would be rolled out, and much to Petra's surprise, Erwin turned out to be more than just a mere advocate or point of contact – the Commander made a point to be involved daily, _also_ up to his elbows in paperwork and numbers, coming intentionally alongside Petra and Hanji as they all worked together to ensure that the right results were being reached as quickly, and as safely as possible.

Not that she had ever thought that Erwin was lazy, or 'too good' to work with a lowly Scout such as herself, but she had been admittedly surprised at just _how_ focused and down to earth Erwin was when it regarded his men, and his outright willingness to do what seemed like grunt work that was debatably _below_ someone of his rank. Even still, he had been diligent, professional, and had no problem taking feedback and actually partnering with herself and Hanji to help them achieve their goals, rather than just_ oversee _it for the final results. While she had always known that the man was immensely talented; that his intellect was unmatched in the Scout Regiment and very likely the entire military, Petra was beginning to see that there were a lot of sides to the Commander that she simply hadn't been aware of before.

Over the past few months, her opinion of him had been shifted and stretched drastically - from merely Levi's charming and good natured boss, to seeing him as a closeted and manipulative sociopath, to eventually a well informed and revolutionary tactician that knew his men shockingly well, to the man she saw him as now – a mix of_ all _those things that created a brilliant, bloodthirsty visionary that worked day in and day out same as the rest of them to gain even the slightest edge in the battle against the Titans. Oddly enough, he seemed less of a boss and more of a peer to her at this point – and Petra knew full well that it was intentional. Erwin needed her to be comfortable working with him, and the situation of her being 'off duty' while still working sun up to sun down, following dire schedules and learning on the fly how to adjust numbers for not just one lone man, but rather entire squads, teams and divisions; there just wasn't time for Erwin to fuss about their differences in rank. Based off rank alone, he'd technically have to talk to Levi first, wait for him to communicate with her, have Petra complete her work, give it back to Levi who would then give it back to him – it was just a waste of time, especially considering the fact that to some extent, Petra had _already_ been working for him exclusively for some time now.

Erwin encouraged her on the daily and purposefully made a point to teach her what the Captain never could; mental triage and organization, picking up on complex and subversive data influxes, showing through past figures how such actions had impacted the Regiment previously, how to spot the difference between a mere fluke and an actual change in data, versus traditional outliers – he had told her that her skills were raw, but she was a true natural and he intended to personally see to it that her skills were developed into something more trained and reliable. He stated that if the results meant _anything_ at all, if they clarified only _one_ simple thing, it was that the Scouts needed her unique perspective because she came to solutions that were different from himself and Hanji.

As if to place his true and official stamp of approval on her efforts; if anyone gave Petra trouble, if anyone so much as questioned her methods or didn't immediately fall in line due to her not being in the hierarchy of command, Erwin would make a quick, ruthless example of them; embarrassing them publicly and in a manner that gave the resounding clarification that regardless Petra's rank as an Elite Scout, versus the rank of a legitimate Commanding Officer, she was to be treated as _the_ source of authority because it was due to _her_ hard work that they had found such a method at all and as such he would not tolerate any fashion of insubordination or disrespect toward her.

Luckily, a vast majority of the Scout Regiment held the newly titled _Mrs._ Ackerman in high regard, and were more than welcoming of any material that stemmed from her, saying things like 'Her methods are such a breath of fresh air' or 'Finally, someone who actually brought _hope _to the Regiment for once'. While Petra felt their praise was a little overwhelming and made her actions out to be a bit more grandiose than they actually were, she supposed she should just be grateful that people were rallying behind her efforts rather than fighting against them, so she tried to take the sudden spotlight with grace and humility.

The official training had launched in a sort of trickle-down fashion, all under the watchful eye of Petra, Hanji, and Erwin. They had taken one more day of intentional training for Levi specifically so he could get a good, personal feel for it all, to where he was relying on_ himself_ and what his body knew to be the new correct actions, versus having to lean on Petra for every little adjustment. Of course, he was a natural that could now pick up the differences with little difficulty, so by the end of the second day, his numbers were consistently improved without the use of Petra's coaching.

The following few days, Levi had trained Mike, and after that, the two of them paired together to train the remainder of Squad Levi. From there, training was rolled out to all Officers next, using a combination of effort from Levi's squad and Mike to oversee the training. That in and of itself had taken almost a full week – and that led them to where they were now, attempting to find some balance in division of labor that would quickly and safely get the bulk of the Regiment trained accordingly. In the end, they had agreed each squad would be led and trained primarily by their own Squad leader or Captain, but for more intentional support, they could count on frequent check in's from Levi's squad, Levi himself, Mike, and the ever vigilant data team to ensure that no singular Scout or squad got left behind in the chaos of implementation.

It was shaping up to be weeks of nonstop work, and while Petra had loved every minute of it - loved feeling like what she was doing was of the upmost importance, was looking forward to getting to see the Scout's numbers improve day by day, and was pleased that she had somehow found a way to be useful even through the aftermath of the accident – due to the nature of the heavy training with sunup to sundown demands, she found that she hadn't really spent any real time with Levi in close to two weeks now. What was more, as their schedules continued being planned and organized for the future weeks to come, Petra knew full well that them missing each other like this would become the _norm_, rather than the _exception._

Of course they were professionals first and foremost, both effortlessly putting work first because their responsibilities took precedence and they were committed to their jobs with unwavering resolve – but still. With each day that passed by, Petra couldn't deny feeling a growing sort of wistfulness because it was such an important time in her life. Her career was taking off in a way where she could hardly keep up with the overnight fame and recognition, and as much as she enjoyed the success, Levi wasn't right there to share it with her. After all he had done to teach her; all the time he had spent investing in her and encouraging her, side by side in his office night after night…it just didn't feel right.

Petra was so used to spending each day with him, as their roles heavily involved and impacted the other by sheer proximity. It had been like that for months now, debatably _years_ even considering they were on the same squad, and Petra found that she simply wasn't used to doing her work in a manner where she was so consistently apart from him for weeks on end like this.

She knew it wasn't personal - their responsibilities were so different and with their diverse skillsets, their paths just weren't crossing anymore. With data pooling in by the second from every single squad in the Scout Regiment, there wasn't time or benefit to working with Levi any longer; no reason to take orders or follow under his command, no avenue to complete the routines that she couldn't physically execute, and furthermore, she had her own tasks to complete that Levi couldn't assist with, because to the same point, numbers were not a strength of his and he was needed elsewhere.

While she was off analyzing data with Hanji and Erwin, Levi was equally as busy, but in his own role that revolved around training and showing the troops the new expectations and how to actually accomplish them in a fleshed out, practical manner. Levi's strength and natural leadership was required to show the regiment through example; show them how to perform in a new way that would still drive their efficiencies while reserving gas, and it kept him unintentionally distanced from his married counterpart as he had his own sunup to sundown demands that kept him away for days on end.

As if their demanding daytime duties weren't enough, Petra's crutches had arrived as scheduled, and because of that, now their nights were also spent apart as well. Once she had been able to move around without assistance, it simply wasn't necessary for Levi to pick her up and move her from place to place. By extension, Levi no longer had a reason to stay with her in her room if she could fend for herself each night. That same day, he had stopped by – late – and confirmed that he would have come sooner but his training class had run late, and Erwin had wanted to go over the results as soon as possible.

He had asked in a sort of frazzled state if her crutches were the right height for her, if she was able to move around on her own again, or what he needed to do to help her further. As he spoke, he had moved around her room and collected all the things he had left there previously; a spare jacket, his toothbrush, a comb, and a teacup, because he didn't want to trouble her by 'cluttering up her bedroom' and he promised he'd be out of her hair soon because he knew she was exhausted, and maybe he should have just come later when she wasn't asleep, but he hadn't thought of it and it was too late now.

Some part of her had wanted to tell him that it wasn't a big deal, that he didn't have to feel like he was troubling her with the few things that had accumulated in her room over the past few days. It was the truth, she _didn't _mind if he kept his things there because perhaps it might come in handy later, but the truth was, she simply liked seeing traces of him in her room and in her half-awake state, she wasn't quite sure how to say that without it being weird. She supposed that she _liked _walking in and seeing his jacket, being reminded of her Captain and knowing that even if he wasn't physically there with her, they were still working to the same end goal and it was only temporary, and it made her feel hopeful that sometime soon their paths might cross again.

But she hadn't found the words, and he left soon after.

The next morning, Petra had glanced around her room as she prepared for her day, secretly hoping that perhaps he had missed something, even the tiniest of things that she could hold onto as proof that her Captain had lived with her in her room for almost four straight days – but found nothing.

No pieces left behind, no trinket or treasure that she could hold onto.

She supposed it was for the best – she needed to keep focused so dwelling on something arbitrary like her relationship with a Captain who wasn't going anywhere _was_ a rather poor way to spend her nights - but still.

As each day went by, if she saw him at all, it was often times in literal passing, where he would be walking across the grounds with Eld or Mike, discussing some subject matter with a focused expression, and sometimes he would notice her lingering stare from across the grounds, and sometimes he wouldn't.

Ironically enough, she almost preferred when he didn't notice her, because at least then she could watch him longer without it becoming weird, or without him wondering if she needed him for something and make his way over toward her unnecessarily. Come the times that he did notice her, Petra wasn't too proud to give him a nervous smile that she was certain highlighted the obvious fact that she missed him, that she noticed the distance between them but accepted it because it was what it was, and Levi would give her a single nod that was rather devoid of warmth or true acknowledgement, before looking back to the path ahead with a sort of wistful expression of his own.

The data continued to show promise; the regiment as a whole was using seven percent less and consistently growing closer to that thirteen percent mark, to where Erwin predicted that after three more weeks the training would be a true, documented success. As exciting as the news was, Petra wasn't certain that she could last another three weeks without spending some real time with the Captain, and so even if it was mundane – even if it was the silliest of excuses and something she would have ordinarily never looked forward to – Petra found herself smiling as she was getting ready for the morning.

Today was her follow up doctor's appointment, and Levi was coming with her, and she was thrilled.

…

* * *

…

"Why did I let you talk me into this?" Petra grumbled as they made their way down the path, adjusting her arms around the front of his chest, and Levi responded simply with a pointed look over his shoulder.

"I didn't 'talk' you into anything. I flat out _told _you that I'm carrying you, because you're too damn slow with your crutches, we're on a tight timetable, and the doctor's office is on the opposite end of the campus. Besides, I thought you said it wasn't so bad if I carried you like this, in piggyback style or whatever, because if _you_ recall 'It will be fun.' Your words, Petra."

Levi couldn't help the smirk that followed his remark after seeing Petra's sullen expression, and she eventually gave a bitter sigh, "Well that was all _before_ I had to be carried around by people for three and a half days straight. As if it wasn't bad enough being carried around by my own Captain, once you got started with Mike and the squad, it was Hanji who started moving me around instead. Worse still, Hanji wasn't always available, so there were a few times that Erwin himself – Erwin! – picked me up and took me wherever I was supposed to be. And before you try to say that it's not so bad or I'm just being over dramatic, think about how_ you'd_ feel if Erwin held out his arms and just picked you up and paraded you around the whole damn Regiment."

Petra's words were coming out with increasing speed, and she continued dramatically with an embarrassed cry, "He's almost three times my size, and I don't think I've ever had any physical contact with him outside of a handshake, let alone being cradled in his arms and wedged up against his _extremely_ broad chest. Now granted, he did offer to carry me on his back instead, all while smirking the whole time that smug fucker, but considering that with how _huge_ he is and how _small_ I am, I'd end up having to do the _splits_ across his back and that just sounded a little too up close and personal." Petra took a shuddering breath and groaned, dropping her head into the planes of Levi's back and confirming in defeat, "Levi, it was_ mortifying._"

By the end of her statement, she was blushing heavily in recollection of her discomfort, and Levi's prior smirk had fallen into a less humorous, suddenly serious sort of stare down the path ahead. His voice was almost a mere whisper, "…I didn't know that."

Petra's head shot back up and she looked toward him with a pointed stare, "Well of course not. You've been busy. _I've _been busy. The whole _Regiment_ has been upheaved and so, sure, it was embarrassing and uncomfortable, being carted around by some other man, all while I'm blushing and stuttering because I'm so embarrassed, and Erwin is just laughing at me because it was_ that_ obvious I was uncomfortable when it really wasn't that big of a deal, and even knowing that I just couldn't play it cool and-"

Petra gave another miserable groan, seemingly at a loss as for what to say further, and she exhaled after a moment to collect her thoughts, "I mean at the end of the day, Erwin is perfectly fine, and I trust him. There was obviously no problems on that front I just…I don't know. I'm kinda stubborn, like to stand on my own two feet, and in some ways I suppose that I told myself it would just be you doing that sort of thing, and I had somewhat come to terms with that, so when it was someone_ else_ it just felt weird and wrong, and then I realized how ridiculous I was being because I know it was just pragmatic, so I tried to play it off and it made it worse because, hell, you have a _job_ to see to and I know that, and so of course it was someone else and-"

Levi shook his head, not sure if he should be amused by her rambling, or more so surprised by the sudden possessiveness building within him as he thought of_ Erwin _carrying her delicate frame around campus instead of him, _without_ his knowledge. Perhaps some alternative part of him was feeling wistful, considering the fact that yes, he did have a job to see to and that indisputably came first, in the same way that her numbers and meetings had been put first as of late, but the harrowing reality was that since her crutches had come in, he just hadn't been around for her. He hadn't watched over her healing like he had originally planned, he wasn't able to check on her, wasn't able to act as her husband _or_ her Captain – Levi didn't know how he felt about any of those things, and so he merely stared at the path ahead in silence for a long moment.

"…Well, if only this time, at least right now it is me."

"Yeah, so it is." Petra finally agreed with a sigh, and after a few more minutes, she found herself absent mindedly fiddling with the fabric of his cravat – something that grabbed Levi's attention considering the sheer oddness of feeling the fabric twist and pull ever so slightly from all around his neck, but as he stole a glance back over his shoulder and saw her pensive expression, he was certain that she wasn't even aware she was consciously doing so, and he tried to ignore the nagging sensation.

"So what should I expect today? I know it's a checkup for my ankle, I think he's taking my stitches out – that's really about it, right?"

Levi merely nodded, and again Petra sighed, "And then it's right back to work I presume? You've got three different squads you're overseeing today, if memory serves? Or is that tomorrow?" she shifted across his back and continued, "Either way that means the data will be _piling_ in and the longer I'm out the more work that will be waiting for me when I finally get back so…_that's _great."

Levi couldn't help but feel a slight amusement run through him and he resisted the urge to snort, "Well what did you expect? Use of the 3DM gear is a foundational pillar of the entire military, the Scouts especially, so changing how the resource is to be utilized is a landslide of work for everyone involved regarding their own performance, management style, how much back work and backlogs are generated for tracking – it's revolutionary Petra. Isn't that what you wanted?"

Petra sighed miserably, a subtle degree of what sounded like _sulking _now lining her words, "Ugh, maybe…but it's just so much _work_ though, Captain! When Erwin challenged me way back, I never realized that after _completing _the project it would all be just the beginning. My workload has tripled since then, and I'm supposed to be on leave! Granted they haven't forced me into anything; it's all been my choice and even now I wouldn't step away if I can help it, but still! It's been day after day of stacks Levi – literal stacks! – of paperwork that are some two feet high with no end in sight. The work needs to get done and I know that there's no one else equipped to do the work but I just…well…I still find that I just want someone_ else_ to do it because some part of me feels that I did my part so now it's someone else's turn. I'm so, so sick of paperwork."

At her passionate and mournful tirade, Levi couldn't help but feel amused at the irony of it all, "See, listen to you. Now you _really_ sound like a Commanding Officer: overworked and regretting the fact that you _ever_ believed Erwin when he said it would just be a simple matter." Levi shook his head and continued smugly, "Let me give you some advice, _rookie_: If it's coming from Erwin, it's never a simple matter, and will always end in more work, every damn time."

Petra gave a groan and shot him a dirty look at his smug teasing, "Thanks for the tip."

Not much later they had arrived at the medical facility and Levi was already certain it would be a long day, because at the front desk was that same nurse – Allison or something like that – and at the sound of the door opening she looked up with a passing glance, "Welcome, if you could just sign in he-"

Again she looked up in a sort of double take, a sudden and bright smile coming to her face; an undeniable trace of amusement already pulling at her features as she eyed them gleefully, and Levi felt a scowl tighten his lips that was the beginnings of admitted embarrassment, because it was obvious the nurse hadn't forgotten about Petra's drug induced speech any more than_ he_ had.

"Mrs. Ackerman! And the notorious Humanity's Strongest - has it been two weeks already? How are you feeling? You're looking much better! Still not walking on your own just yet or…?"

There was a laugh that came from just behind him, and Petra responded warmly, "Hey Alyssa," Oh right, Alyssa. Not Allison. "No, I've actually been moving around on my own for over a week now, but we're on a tight timetable and _someone _didn't want to wait. I am feeling a lot better though - I can move around again, my skin doesn't feel as tight, of course I notice that I have a giant cast on my foot, but in terms of pain, I hardly even notice it anymore. It's all thanks to you guys! Your team was just so great and you're all so skilled! How have things been for you? Keeping busy?"

Adding nothing to the conversation, pleased immensely that he wasn't the subject of conversation _this_ time around, Levi moved toward the reception desk and grabbed the pen, signing the sheet as the two women continued conversing. As he signed the sheet dutifully, writing down the time, reason for visit and other basic answers, Levi was reminded outright that Petra was legitimately a…_charming_ individual, he mentally tested out the word and decided it fit well enough, regardless its more traditionally masculine connotation.

Even though the women had only met a small number of times, and always on less than traditional or lighthearted circumstances, even still Allison was speaking to Petra with a beaming smile, as though they had been friends for years, as though she was outright enamored to be speaking with her because the petite ginger simply had such a way about her. It was like that with everyone, the shop keeper, the men of his squad; people just naturally gravitated toward her effortlessly. Like Erwin, Petra just had a natural charisma that was infectious in nature and people liked her without her even trying.

It seemed that wherever they went, no matter the circumstances, Petra was always catching _someone's_ eye, able to make intelligent conversation and witty remarks to so easily grab the delight of others – a skill that greatly helped in the event that they needed to make nice with some random Lord or Benefactor, as Levi himself could somewhat hide in the background and not do too much damage with his unsavory mannerisms. To be fair though, her natural charm _had_ caused them trouble more than once in the past when people took her kindness to mean something else entirely, and it was impossible to keep to a schedule if they were out and about, because Petra always seemed to get caught up in some conversation with some random stranger, every time.

Worse still, and as much as he wanted to deny it, he simply couldn't: None seemed to fall prey to her charms more than himself, because at the prospect of Petra leaving his squad all those months ago, he had outright_ married _her, so when it was all said and done, who was he to judge those that found her to be equally as pleasant?

She had always been like that, and he could say it was something he had noticed _long_ before their wedding had occurred, because it was impossible not to. In truth, it was in fact a large part of what had landed her a spot on his squad to begin with. The original team Levi had been comprised of the same men, but just the four of them on a squad, rather than the five that comprised Squad Levi now.

It had all been fine, for a few months at least. Levi had been groomed to be a Captain, shaped intentionally to lead a specialized squad of his own as the official elite, 'Special Ops Squad'. There had been bumps in the road as he adjusted to the new role and learned _how_ to lead a team under the parameters of the military, but as the months went by and various problems only continued to worsen, problems he had first chalked up to a sort of learning curve, he realized the squad's embittered dynamic and constant squabbling wouldn't just 'work itself out', because it seemed to be foundational and at the very_ core_ of his team's functionality.

There was a certain degree of edginess and mistrust in his men; a reluctance or unwillingness to bend or work together because no one wanted to be seen as the weakest and they were all trying to one up each other at every turn, all while side eyeing their fellow 'comrades'. What was more, they certainly didn't trust _him_ in the slightest either. They _obeyed_ him as Captain, as trained units of the military, but their mistrust was obvious as no one had really wanted to work with the Commander's illicitly gained stray from the Underground.

Try as he may to change the squad's interactions, with his own personality and the fact that he himself wasn't sure how to fix the growing tension, he knew he wouldn't be much help in making his team rally together as anything but bitter and unwilling rivals. Their hesitance made his_ own_ mistrust rise, and the problems were consistently escalating instead of getting resolved.

At one point he had gone to Erwin, desperate for help, but Erwin was stubbornly useless and insisted that if Levi was throwing in the towel and needed his authority as the Commander to fix the problems on the squad, then he simply wasn't _ready _to be Captain of an elite force, and sent him away empty handed with the useless words of 'I'm sure you'll figure _something_ out, Captain.'

So. He had tried. He used different exercises, endured _horrible_ outings that he could only look back on now as failed attempts at team builders, but the tension and bitterness remained, and Levi was at a complete loss.

It was after five months of this, a few bouts of fist fights, and that fact that not even he himself would come out of his room until the last possible moment to report for duty, that Levi realized with sudden clarity that, plain and simple, his squad was incomplete. They needed some sort of buffer desperately; a person who was skilled and could hold their weight, but was a _people_ person by nature – someone who could meet anyone where they were, as they were, and still manage to work with them just fine. If he could find someone like that, it would bring his whole team together, he was certain of it.

It hadn't really been a gendered thing; though looking back now he supposed he had in fact been looking for another male when it came down to it. It wasn't a matter of being sexist, it was just that he couldn't afford this person to be in and out of relationships, god forbid _with _the men of his own squad no less, constantly starting drama – and while it seemed perhaps a little prideful or premature, Levi was well aware of the effect he had on women in the Scout Regiment, and the last thing he wanted to do was employ and therefore have to look after some mindless _fan girl._

He knew full well that not all women were like that, not even close, but he couldn't pretend that he knew women _well enough_ to be able to tell the difference so instantaneously, and once the job offer was made, it would be far too troublesome to forcibly remove such a toxic woman from his squad on the basis that she just wasn't a good fit. No, he was thinking of a determined barely twenty-something kid, someone notably younger than the majority of his squad that wouldn't feel like a threat - someone that was hungry to learn and would look at them all like role models instead of rivals.

He needed someone that could take a joke, or perhaps even someone that was a bit on the oblivious side; that wouldn't be able to respond to the negativity because they hadn't even noticed it in the first place. He wasn't sure how he would go about _finding_ such a person, as there weren't really records kept for personality types, and looking back now, Levi could only assume it was fate that had brought him to Petra all those years ago. When the girl had first caught his attention, their very first time actually _meeting _each other more than just uncaring, passing glances of yet another Scout in the Regiment, it wasn't even through the lens of him looking for a person on his team – no, surprise surprise…

She had been breaking the rules.

…

* * *

End of Chapter

* * *

…

*looks at clock*

Sorry, looks like my editing took a pretty penny of time indeed. Ah well. Honestly, I don't have too much to say here, and less is more as they say. Thanks as always, looking forward to seeing your thoughts on this chapter, and I'll see you next week!

~Mid


	50. The One Where Levi Met Her

Mornining everyone and happy Sunday!

Can you believe it? Fifty chapters. Good lord it feels surreal. It's insane to me that I'd be _that_ person writing something this long. Honest to the heavens, I never thought I'd be writing something like this, but as many of yall have said, this fandom deserved something a bit more developed and certainly a bit more happy than it's canon counterpart. So here I am, still writing and editing almost on the daily, because I will see it through to the end.

Yall who are coming with me week by week, silent or otherwise, are true heros and you inspire me frequently.

That being said, enjoy this chapter and I'll see you around next week!

...

* * *

...

It had been yet another long day of bickering and mistrust and frustration, and in light of that, Levi hadn't exactly been in the greatest of moods as he thought over his troublesome, impossible squad that he was newly responsible for. He had been walking through campus to turn in his gear after receiving yet another scathing lecture from Erwin, because for an Elite Squad's numbers to be so…_not _elite; Erwin had given him_ quite_ a speech because teams were nothing more than a reflection of their direct leadership, and so if his squad was failing, it was because Levi_ himself_ was failing them as their direct Commanding Officer.

Erwin's main grievance was something that didn't come as a surprise to Levi, and he tried to not check out of the conversation as the Commander threw statistics and demeaning questions at him without end. Things like, 'How is it that you have the top Scouts in the entire regiment reporting to you – where individually their performances are all outstanding – and yet after five months of being on a team with _you_, it's a free for all where the concept of teamwork means absolutely nothing to any of them anymore?' and 'I understand you've told me about the Squad's problems, but you're a strong leader and an experienced tactician. In your Underground days you led countless groups of men much less reliable and much less capable than the men reporting to you now, so explain to me why you are struggling so much?'

When Erwin demanded to hear what actions he would be taking to amend the situation because now that they were five months in as a squad, it was high time they shape up and start _acting_ like the Special Ops squad he had envisioned, Levi had explained his theory that with the fact the men were a bit more tenured, stubborn and set in their ways and likely having thought their promotion would involve them getting a team of their _own_ instead of on a team commanded by himself, that as the squad was now, Levi wasn't sure he would _ever_ be able to curb their performance regarding their teamwork and functionality.

Back in the day, if anyone had given him this sort of trouble before where they questioned his authority, would technically do the work but would do it _their _way, would refuse to follow his orders and intentionally not rely on himself or peers, Levi just _didn't_ work with them, plain and simple. Experienced leader or not, the methods used in the Underground were a lot more cutthroat and as a result, Levi's ability to 'problem solve' a social dynamic or address trust issues…that was a bit beyond his scope of expertise.

Erwin had nodded in understanding after Levi's frustrated clarification, aware that the two situations weren't exactly a_ fair_ comparison, and had asked more calmly what he was thinking, because surely Levi didn't want to have such a squad that behaved so recklessly out on the battlefield – they'd all get killed.

After taking a few moments to collect his thoughts, not sure what Erwin would think of his idea, Levi had explained his theory that the squad needed one more member; someone younger, someone that didn't have any special feelings or predisposition toward working with someone like him. He explained that if he could just get the squad to unwind and relax to some extent, let their guard down and choose to willingly work together as a unit, then he could coach them exactly as they had planned and the Special Ops squad would be a success, he just needed a bit of a…relaunch.

Erwin had given him a long stare, confirmed that he didn't like the fact that Levi's solution was still dependent upon someone _else _coming in and fixing his problems, but perhaps he had a point, because Levi had never been traditional in any sense of the word, so perhaps it was for the best that they take a less than traditional approach when building his team. The Commander had filled out a few forms, approved his squad for one more member and nodded toward the door with a firm expression, 'Happy Hunting, Captain.'

Erwin had confirmed that he had two weeks to find this alleged fifth member, and though he hadn't said what would happen should he _not _find such a person, Levi was certain he didn't want to find out.

He had been walking down the path back toward the opposite end of campus, frustrated and debating how to even start such a search, when the familiar hum of the 3DM gear caught his attention and broke him out of his thoughts. Traditionally such a noise would have hardly registered in his mind – it was the Scout Regiment after all, where Squads trained day in and day out to keep their skills sharp – but what caught his attention was the fact that it was nearing sunset. No squads were training right now, everyone's gear _should_ have been turned in and secured by this time of day – the only reason he still had his was because of the meeting with Erwin that had kept him relatively occupied.

Again that same sharp hum echoed from across the area, and Levi stopped in place, looking around to see if there_ was_ perhaps a squad doing some last-minute training for whatever reason, but it quickly became obvious that there was no one else around, and he felt a scowl come to his face, because he was_ not_ in the mood for this. Deciding to investigate the situation and preparing to reprimand whoever it was that was breaking the rules outright, Levi moved toward the sound, waiting impatiently for the Scout in question to land and already thinking of various things he could have them clean to teach them a thing or two about respecting the military's resources.

Eventually, after the continued sounds of wires clanging and trees moving, there was a girl that landed some fifty feet away from him. She was young, _very_ young – he had to guess one of the newer cadets as she was only eighteen or nineteen, maybe twenty at best.

A mere child.

When she landed, completely unaware of his presence, Levi couldn't help but notice the outright irritation on her face, and she shook her head to herself, mumbling a bitter, "No, no that's _still_ not right."

It was clear that she was adjusting herself to disappear back into the trees, and Levi called out to her irritably because he had no intention of shooting off his own wires to chase after her.

"Oi. Girl. Come here."

The girl's expression fell into sudden confusion and she jolted slightly from surprise at his callout. She leaned forward, squinting as she tried to see just who it was that was speaking to her, and after finally noticing him, she looked around dramatically and pointed to herself in confusion, "Uh…are you talking to…me?"

He clicked his tongue and scoffed as he crossed his arms balefully, "Do you_ see_ anyone else around here? _Yes,_ I'm talking to you. Now move your ass."

Regardless the _order_ he had given her, she seemed to debate with herself for some time if in fact she _would _walk over toward him or not, something that took him by surprise because most people would have been 'sir yes sir'ing him by now, but eventually she gave a slow, confused nod and walked toward him cautiously.

When she came near, blades still in hand, he gave her a long stare and nodded toward her curtly, "Your name, girl?"

At his demand, she eyed him all the more suspiciously, and he rolled his eyes. "It's just a name, sheesh. I'm not asking for much – are you _always_ this suspicious and unpleasant when dealing with your superiors? Or are you legitimately this much of a _bitch_ day in and day out?"

The girl gave a sudden laugh of sarcasm and shot him a baleful glower, "So says the man who's clearly on the rag. What, your girlfriend walk out on you for another woman or something?"

Levi's eyes widened at her extreme disrespect, and the girl gave a pointed exhale, "If you must know, my name is Petra. Now if you could just get to the point of whatever it is you're needing from me? In case you couldn't figure it out on your own, you're kind of interrupting something and I'm not in the mood."

"Good, because neither am I." he stated curtly, and he watched her with a raised brow, "Petra, then. Tell me what a Scout such as yourself is doing at this time of day, alone, with the 3DM gear in active use like this? You're_ not_ permitted to use your gear after your squad's training is completed, something that I'm sure you're _well_ aware of."

The girl huffed and gave a defensive, irritated shrug, "Not that it's _any_ of your business, but if you must know I had a rough go around on the last expedition." She gave an angered shake of her head, her expression suddenly pensive as she looked up toward the canopy, "I _know_ I can do better, and so I've been staying late after training to try and improve on certain areas where my numbers aren't meeting goal. I won't get hurt. And I'm being careful. I just…have some areas I want to get better in. And until I do, then I'll just keep working hard on my own time."

Levi took a moment to consider her words, and he shook his head flatly because good intentions or not, there were rules for a reason and some foolhardy Scout in the forest, alone, was an outright liability. "Even still, you can't just be out here without supervision. It's not safe, no matter how careful you are. If you're trying to improve so you've got a better shot at living come the next Expedition then there are courses you can-"

The girl had dropped her blades to her sides and gave him an indignant look, "Better shot at-" she outright glared at him and sheathed her blades with a sudden snap, all so she could cross her arms to make a _point_ of her apparent irritation with him, "_You_ listen up. I'm _not_ training like this to get a better shot at _living_, I'm training so I can get a better shot at taking out more of those people-eating monsters! I've got a damned score to settle and I won't rest until I've done my part! In case no one told you, we Scouts don't exactly have a long-life expectancy and I'm not stupid enough to think that I'm any different. Maria only knows what little time I've got left, and considering that, I want to keep focused so I can take out as many of those naked, disgusting _fucks_ as I possibly can."

Levi blinked at her rather colorful statement, of course not_ offended _so much as surprised to hear such a thing come from such a petite young girl that looked far too innocent to even _know_ such a word existed. As if only now hearing herself, she blushed heavily at her statement and looked to the ground in sudden embarrassment, "I uh…sorry. That wasn't…uh." She gave a flustered sigh and looked back up at him, "You know, I'm really just trying to train a little, on my own time, and you're kind of distracting me. It's got nothing to do with you, a random, lurking stranger, so if you've got a_ problem_ with it then-"

Levi quirked an eyebrow, not sure if he was irritated, or simply amused by this shrimp of a girl who apparently had the gall to outright sass him like this, and she gave a scowl at his clearly not threatened smirk, "What's with that face? You know what? You can go to hell and just mind your own damn business! Coming here and acting like you're so cool, _smirking_ at me like that when I'm just trying to improve my performance - this has nothing to do with you! Who do you even think you _are?_"

"Levi." He said flatly, "I'm a Commanding Officer, and as such, I'm _ordering_ this little training session to come to an immediate end._ You_ are the one breaking the rules, _not_ me, so you'd better watch your mouth girl, because I _told_ you I'm not in the mood and that attitude won't fly with me for a second. Get some dinner and get to bed; you'll report back to duty and train with your squad soon enough. No more of this, understood?"

At his simple, confident response spoken with clear authority, the girl's green eyes narrowed. She looked him over in obvious thought, as though trying to figure out where she had heard his name before, and Levi was waiting expectantly for the flash of realization that was sure to come, looking forward to watching the way her mouth would drop open and the apologies that would undoubtedly come spilling out of her mouth once she realized _who _she had been speaking so aggressively toward.

When her face morphed into a clear remembrance, she looked toward him directly and her eyes narrowed in suspicion, "Wait. _You're_ Levi? Humanity's Strongest I mean – are you seriously trying to tell me that's _you?_"

When he merely stared at her, she shook her head stubbornly and actually laughed, "No. _No_ way. I mean, I believe that you're a higher rank than me because I know I've seen you walking around with the Commander here and there, but I thought Humanity's Strongest, you know, Levi or whatever – I could have sworn he was _blonde_. And tall. You know, has the shaggy hair and goatee combination? Always with Erwin and Section Leader Zoe? Is _not_ a measly 5'2? _That's_ Levi."

"No, you're thinking of Mike._ He_ reports to Hanji. _ I _am Levi, and for your information, I'm 5'3 - which is more than I can say about you, shrimp."

The girl rolled her eyes dramatically, and Levi continued in growing agitation, "_I_ report to Erwin directly, and as such I'm_ telling_ you that you aren't permitted for unsupervised training. I'll treat this as just a warning this time around, but if I see you out here like this in the future then-"

As he spoke, the girl looked him up and down one more time as though_ still _unconvinced, and she exhaled as she cut him off with a disbelieving shake of her head, "Not buying it. I'm sorry, I just…I highly doubt that Humanity's Strongest really has the time to spare for something like this. Isn't he busy, you know, sharpening his blades and eating Titan's for breakfast or whatever?"

Levi found himself a little tongue tied because, wow - was that _really_ what the average Scout thought he did all day? – but before he could respond, the girl gave a sort of laugh, "Gotta say though, I've heard he's kind of a hardass. You've got _that _much right at least, considering you're going well out of your way to harass me like this and I'll have you know I _don't _appreciate it. Look, I get that_ whoever_ you are, you're an ill-tempered, rule-following killjoy, but will you just leave me alone already? I'm losing precious daylight! Just go away and find someone else to pester."

Levi found his irritation rising, but he couldn't deny that his interest was suddenly piqued by this spitfire of a Scout that would stop at nothing to get in an extra five minutes of training. He looked around for a moment of indecision, torn as to how he wanted to respond to the blatant disregard for his legitimate authority, and finally he sighed, mind made up.

"For your information girl, I _am_ in fact Levi. _Captain_ Levi, to be exact, and if you're so dead set on training like this then…you know what? Fine. I'll supervise you."

"Finally, I'm glad that you see things my wa –wait, what?"

He walked further into the forest and instead of stopping in front of her, he walked up to a nearby tree and he nodded seriously as he looked back toward her expectantly, "You said you wanted to get better, so you could kill more Titans, and it seems that nothing I say will stop you. So, what are you waiting for? Come on then, show me if you can run your body like you do your _mouth._"

She stood in place, dumbfounded, and some of her previous fire seemed to die from within her, "Wait…for real, are you _really_ Captain Levi?"

At her question, he merely turned away from her and drew his blades, preparing his equipment with a tempered, focused exhale. After some adjustments, he looked over his shoulder irritably and took a breath of preparation, "Pick up the pace girl, or I'll show you just how much of a hardass I can be."

"Oh uh, yes – yes sir!"

That had been all it had taken, all he had needed to say for her to chase after him, and soon he was shadowing her in a surveying fashion as she moved through the forest canopy, weaving through the trees and going through an obstacle course of sorts. She carried herself well, actions sure and precise in the air, though it was obvious she was still a newer cadet because her actions lacked the tempered hesitation and restraint a more tenured Scout carried themselves with in the air. After a few minutes, he had taken over command and threw in a few orders of his own, seeing how well she could follow his lead and tried to gauge exactly where her skill level was. After a good twenty or thirty minutes up in the forest with the young girl, Levi turned toward her midair and nodded, "That's enough, it's getting way too dark for this. Get back to the forest floor."

Upon landing, he took a single breath to collect himself, and the girl landed beside him a few moments later, instantly bending in half in exhaustion and mumbling quietly to herself in obvious wonder, "Fast. So _fast. _How in the world is he so damn fast?"

Ignoring her musings and mulling the concept over in his head, he sheathed his blades and looked toward her flatly, "Yeah, I can see why you want to train so bad now. You're _terrible._"

She looked up from her bent over position and shot him a scathing, hateful glare. He was certain that if it weren't for the fact that after training with him she_ finally _believed that he was indeed Erwin's right hand man, he was certain that she would have flipped him off then and there.

His words weren't wrong because her skill level truly was not even _close_ to the level of himself or his men, and Levi knew that in the event he offered someone like her a job, it would take _months_ of teeth grinding, mind numbing frustration to beat out their bad habits and force them to reshape their mind and body regarding their role in the Scouts, and potentially his squad specifically. He had been _hoping_ for someone with a greater skill level but…

Even still, he had to admit…he liked the girl's attitude.

She was small and feisty, overconfident, clearly had something to prove, and wouldn't easily be pushed around – all good traits in her case, because his squad had absolutely _no_ space for pushovers. And perhaps a blessing in disguise, but on a more personal note, she seemed to have no idea of who he was. While she had heard of 'Humanity's Strongest' it seemed to be nothing more than mere reputation. The mistrust that the average Scout held for him individually, traditionally those with more tenure, didn't seem to be present within her, and she had worked with him well enough once they had been up in the canopy. She had followed his orders blindly, without an ounce of pushback, and while her skills were underwhelmingly lacking and unpolished at best, he knew that with her personal drive to improve, the outright_ bloodlust_ she had for slaying Titans, all she needed was the proper coaching to make those skills more formidable.

And _that_, he was confident he could provide.

He allowed her a few moments to catch her breath – it seemed her stamina was lacking as well – and he crossed his arms seriously, "Tomorrow you are off duty, correct?"

She stood up more fully and nodded, "Uh, yeah. I mean, yes sir or…" she frowned at her fumbling response, and she shook her head as though forcibly moving on, "It's Saturday so-"

Levi cut her off as he began unstrapping his gear from around him, "I don't have time to waste so I'll make it short. I am looking to expand my team and you've got my attention. Tomorrow I want you to report to me, and we'll have you go through a full day of training with my squad to see how you do."

The girl shot him a blank stare, her voice higher from sheer surprise and alarm, "Wait, pardon me? Train with your squad…like…an audition?"

He merely shrugged, "If that's how you want to look at it, then sure. Now give me your gear. I'm headed to turn mine in, and I don't trust you to do the right thing and turn yours in as well, so this saves time for the both of us. You're welcome."

She grumbled but gave an obedient nod, removing the equipment from around her and handing him the components piece by piece. He grabbed each part from her, and gave her a serious nod when she had completed the task, "And I want to clarify. Regarding tomorrow? It's _not_ a request. You made such a big deal about training after hours, to the extent that_ my _night got interrupted, so you're going to work all day tomorrow with my squad to make it up to me. That should teach you a thing or two about insubordination and messing up my night with your selfish antics."

She gave a dramatic frown and waved an arm toward him, "But earlier you said you were just giving me a warning!"

His expression didn't change, although he couldn't deny the amusement that pulled at his lips. "I changed my mind."

The girl gaped at his words, and after a few moments of thought, eventually seemed to formulate a response, "The Special Ops Squad…that's Levi's squad. _Your _squad. Sorry it's just… I've only been graduated into the Scout Regiment for a little over a year now. Do you think that I'm actually…you know, _ready_ for such a position?"

Levi all but snorted, "With _that_ skill level? No. _Fuck_ no. You're not even close."

Her face turned red at his all but laughing at her, because gods, this guy was a _complete_ asshole, and she put her hands on her hips in embarrassed frustration, "Then why…?"

"That's what _training_ is for, dumbass. I don't need someone with a high kill count or staggering numbers – what I need is _potential._ And at least _that_ – well, you do have_ that_ much…_if nothing else_."

Again her eyes narrowed all the more, and Levi gave her a direct nod, "Seven a.m sharp, meet in uniform with your 3DM gear at the East side training grounds. Don't even _think_ about pulling a no show, because if it comes down to it I'll drag you out of the women's barrack myself." He took a few steps and paused, looking over his shoulder as an additional thought came to him, and he couldn't help the smirk that came to his lips as he anticipated her response, "Oh, and I should give you the heads up. My squad should also be off duty tomorrow, so I'll be sure to let them know that the reason they get to work an extra day this week is because_ you_ decided to go rogue and get some last-minute training in outside of protocol. I'd recommend learning how to play nicely with the others come tomorrow, because I'd hazard a guess that they won't be too thrilled to meet you, and that snarky mouth of yours will only make them hate you all the more."

At the end of his explanation, she was gaping in pure horror, and her words came out in a stuttering response, "What, but wh- Did you ever maybe think that you _didn't_ have to tell them that?"

As he was walking away, he found himself smirking all the more. Oh, he definitely _did._

Because if she could even remotely keep up with his men, if she could handle their anger, their pettiness; if her amusing antics had somehow worn_ him _down and made her sarcastic remarks strangely amusing rather than annoying, made it so he was willing to work with her and visa versa, then she may have been exactly the Scout he was looking for. There was a chance at least, that he had miraculously found his missing piece, in the most unlikely of ways, and he was looking forward to seeing how she would handle his squad in the morning.

He gave a wave over his shoulder, "Goodnight, Petra."

...

* * *

...

"Oh gods. _That's_ the potential fifth member?" Gunther spoke in sheer distaste, looking between the approaching ginger and his Captain with wide eyes, "Captain, you can't be serious!"

Levi crossed his arms and merely nodded toward her as the squad continued to watch her with narrowed, surveying glances, "I'm quite serious. And besides, it's_ one_ day of test runs. Nothing is set in stone, I haven't made any job offers, nor am I jumping to fill the position with just anyone, so you can all relax because I don't want to play babysitter any more than you guys do. Whether it's her or someone else, it needs to be the _right_ person because none of you shits know how to get along and if something doesn't give soon, I'm going to fucking murder each and every one of you."

Eld huffed and looked over toward the irritated man with a side glance, "Sheesh Captain, it's not nearly as bad as you're pretending. Things are fine as they are."

Levi's voice was waspish and he looked back toward Eld in challenge, "Yeah? Tell that to the squads' numbers because they're not exactly 'fine'. Erwin's pissed as hell and I've got two weeks to fix it. If I don't, then you're all just as fucked as I am because any shit he gives me, I'll pass onto the lot of you in spades."

Eld continued with a grumble, "Well _my _numbers are fine – I mean, fine enough at least. I'd be better off if it weren't for the fact that Oluo can't even-"

"Oh sure, here you go again, blaming_ me _for your incompetence. Just face it jackass – your skills are mediocre at best and _that's_ why Captain's getting so much shit from the Commander. I'm only one man and I can't carry this whole team on my own so-"

"Right." Gunther spoke next with a snort, "Carrying this _whole_ team – I'll believe _that _when I see it."

"Oi, fucking shove it and behave, all of you. I don't want you shits scaring the girl off with your constant bitching, so keep it to a dull roar or I'll make you work tomorrow as well. Absolutely no fist fights today, got it?"

There was a tense silence that fell across the men because they did _not _want to work straight through the weekend, and as they each watched the petite ginger approach them, Eld gave a hushed sigh, keeping his voice low so he wouldn't be overheard by her, "Alright Captain, theoretically of course….if we_ must_ get another member on the squad, I feel the need to point out that we just need someone who can play their part on the battlefield, nothing more."

Levi gave him a single side glance as they each watched the girl warily, and Eld continued in clear frustration, "Even still that…that _girl_ – dammit Captain, you can't tell me that you expect me to stand side by side in arms with someone like _that_ and come back alive! She looks to be eighty pounds at best! That's suicide!"

Oluo gave a snort at Eld's clear concerns, mumbling under his breath, "Honestly Captain, I think we'd all have better luck taking up arms next to a _goldfish_. She's just too young and dainty to pose a real threat out there. Give her a few years to grow up, then_ maybe_, but right now she's just a baby." Oluo gave a sly smile and shrugged, "But I'll admit, she's a cute one, if nothing else. This might be fun."

There were a few chuckles from his subordinates, and the girl walked toward them, obviously uneasy and having no idea of the squad's previous discussion, "I uh, hello everyone and good morning. I guess introductions are in order? My name is Petra Ra-"

Gunther gave her a single look up and down, cutting her off with a frown as he crossed his arms, "Is it true that you _seriously_ kept your gear and were flying around after hours, and now because of that, _we're_ working all day as punishment? Thanks a lot. Apparently _our _time isn't as valuable as_ yours_ so it would seem."

The girl's mouth dropped open, and her gaze fell on the Captain directly as she responded in a stammer, "Levi! You…you _did _tell them!"

The shorter male frowned at her use of his first name, and Levi's eyes narrowed as he watched her in disapproval, "Captain."

The girl gave an intimidated, simple nod at his correction, and Levi exhaled, not intending to linger on the matter, "And I _told _you that I would be telling them. They deserve to know why they are working so hard on their day off, and since you are _so _gung-ho about it all, I thought this would be a more efficient avenue for your unwarranted, off the clock training."

Oluo groaned, "Wait wait, you seriously mean to tell me that we're not even getting_ paid_ for this?! What the fucking shit woman!"

"_You_ are." Levi amended simply, then nodded toward the girl who was getting more and more uneasy by the second as the weight of the squad's dislike of her became more and more palpable, "But she's not. _She _is serving out her punishment for breaking the rules in the first place, and I'm afraid you are all along for the ride because we have a position to fill and she has potential. If anyone is to blame on that front, it's _you_ shits for being impossible to manage."

Gunther gave a groan and rolled his eyes, "This is bullshit. I'll bet she won't even make it through our warmup."

From beside him, there was an embittered grumble from Eld who snorted in sudden agreement, "I'll bet she cries in the first hour."

Oluo looked toward his other teammates and shrugged, "I'd take you up on the bet, but I'm not stupid enough to gamble when the odds are _this_ bad. Besides, we all know that she'll be begging for the Captain to ease up on her, so we'll just have to settle with our increased paychecks."

As the group shifted and began walking toward the training grounds with heavy steps, Eld looked at the girl with a shake of his head, then looked back toward Levi with a passing glance, "Gotta say Captain, I think you're losing your touch and the timeframe from Erwin's made you desperate. Let's just get this over with and hope for better luck with the next candidate."

The men began walking away, still grumbling and less than thrilled about the day's line up, and as they started to walk away without so much as letting her say her full name, the girl crossed her arms and looked at the squad's receding backs narrowly, sudden anger and embarrassment flowing through her at being so easily written off, right in front of her face no less.

"How much?"

At her words, there was a pause in step, because there was a sudden fierceness and ferocity to her tone that caught them by surprise.

"What?" Eld asked in confusion, fixing the girl with a curious stare as they slowly turned back toward her in question one by one. They had heard her of course, but admittedly her words had taken them by surprise because was she really…?

The ginger nodded confidently, "You said you bet that I can't get through your warmups, or that, what, I'll _cry _or something? And you, with the curly hair, you said that you also wanted to bet against me because I'd be reduced to _begging_?"

At her words, the Squad seemed to stare at her narrowly, as though to say 'So what?' and Petra crossed her arms indignantly, "You heard me. How much? I get that I'm not at your guys' skill levels and I won't try to pretend otherwise, but considering the one who knows my skill level _invited_ me here, well, I feel the odds fall in _my_ favor on this one. You all ready to put your money where your mouth is, or are you all just arrogant bullshiters?"

From behind them, Levi's eyes shone with a sudden trace of amusement, pleased that the girl's feistiness from the night previous hadn't been a fluke, but his team was so focused on the girl and her challenging words that they hardly even noticed.

"Wow boys, she's got a mouth on her. Just listen to this small fry!" Eld chuckled as he motioned toward her, and he took a step closer toward the girl, amused by the fire in her eyes and the outright defiance she watched them with.

"Don't call me that. It's Petra. Petra Ral."

"Alright, alright. Petra then. I'm Eld, that's Gunther, and the curly haired guy is Oluo. Seems you've already met the Captain. Thirty bucks sound fair? That's ten for each of us, and a pretty handsome payout for yourself in the event that you miraculously come out ahead. The wager is that you break down in the first hour, cry like a little _bitch_, and _beg_ to go back to your normal squad. That sound about right? If you can last through warm up, no tears, no broken will to live or embarrassing outbursts where you need a break or are too tired to go on, then you'll have proven me wrong and we'll all pay up, no questions asked. Deal?"

The girl made a face and shook her head in confusion, "Sure but just so we're clear on the terms, I thought it was that I wouldn't make it through warm up,_ or _that I'd cry in the first hour. Which is it?"

Gunther snorted sarcastically and he nudged Oluo with a laugh, "Uh right, and you really think it takes us_ less_ than an hour to warm up? Those conditions are synonymous, one in the same."

Once the girl's jaw fell slack at the clarification that their mere warm up would take over an_ hour_, the blonde gave a laugh at her obvious horror and suddenly increasing self-doubt, "Oh, does that scare you girl? Well look alive Petra, you're playing in the big boy's sand box now and we don't do take backs here."

He turned over his shoulder, and he laughed warmly as they made their way toward the training grounds, "Gods, it's like taking candy from a baby."

"Should have bet more." Gunther whispered bitterly, "I'd like to go out for drinks tonight and ten bucks won't last long."

"Hey now, she's just a kid. I couldn't rob the girl blind; what kind of man would that make me?"

"A _richer_ man." Oluo piped in, and from behind them, Petra gave a huff of an exhale as she marched behind them in silent outrage.

"Ooh, touché! Well, we'll see. The day is young and there's a lot of other things we can wager. Maybe once she fails, we can cut her some 'slack' and challenge her to a double or nothing. Twenty bucks should at least get a healthy buzz going for us, right? I know we just met her, but I'm pretty sure she'll actually pay up out of sheer pride and principle, even though it's not really all that fair of a wager. She doesn't strike me as being all that bright considering she thought training on her own was the best way improve. But as they say, guess there's one born every minute, right? I suppose we may as well benefit where we can. It'll be a good lesson for her."

Petra's eyes narrowed as she followed after them, "I can _hear_ you."

"Like that makes a difference? Fuck you." Gunther spat back, and her eyes narrowed all the more, feeling indignant, insulted, and outright determined to prove them all wrong because just like their grouchy, ill-tempered Captain, this whole squad was comprised of outright assholes.

It was due to the fact that the Squad was following behind him that they each missed Levi's prominent, pleased smirk.

...

* * *

End of Chapter

* * *

...

Ahhhh, you know truth be told, I didn't actually think I'd write out the 'how they met' scene - however back in the day where I began writing out Levi's musings while they were at the medic ward, this little flashback came about on it's own and demanded to be written. What was more, I really felt that the story really needed a breather from the ever ongoing gas shortage arc. As the reader, it's bloody long enough, but as the_ writer_ where the material takes months of mental sorting out, then the writing, then the constant tweaking and editing - no joke I was probably in 'gas shortage' mode for...about six months? *slams head against the wall because Maria save the queen*

Hell of a time for me, and so getting to write something outside of meetings and numbers and data analysis (which may or may not be my real life job) felt very...refreshing for me back in the day. Either way, this section makes me laugh so much and I hope yall enjoyed it just as much.

As always, you guys are the best. I hope you have an awesome week, and I'll see you on the flippity flip.


	51. The One Over Lunch

Happy, happy Apocalypse everyone!

So yeah, a lot has happened in the last week, hasn't it? I know everyone already has their own opinions about everything that's going on, but at the very least, I'd like to report that so far things are okay on my end. We're safe and keeping out outside exposure to a minimum – not so much for us of course, but for those who may be more at risk. Just doing our part to keep the community safe.

I'd urge yall if you aren't already, to be respectful of those who are worried, of those who's places of occupation have been forcibly shut down, of those who have no option of income coming in for the foreseeable future while the bills keep coming in, for the small businesses who won't have any customers, for those at risk wondering how concerned they should or shouldn't be, and of course…for those left without toilet paper. Times are tough in the empire...

Yall, if my two cents means absolutely anything, throughout all of this, be smart, and be humble. There's a lot of firsts here for everyone, so whether its hype, fear, or not ENOUGH where people aren't taking things as seriously as they should be - I don't know the answer to that question. But. Kindness goes a long way. Be respectful, and again, keep humble because the economic impact if nothing else, is substantial.

Either way, thanks for being here, and I hope you enjoy this chapter :)

…

* * *

…

"Hey girl!" a taunting voice suddenly came from beside her from the one called Oluo, and if it weren't for the fact she was focused on not throwing up, she would have shot him an icy glare. How long had they been running like this? Was this what they considered to be a warmup? A miserable, run to the death? She didn't mind running, she didn't even mind running long distances – what she _minded_ was the combination of running this long, while simultaneously being expected to run this _fast_. The men were tearing down the path with impressive speed, and way up in the front was Humanity's Strongest, leading the way effortlessly with an ease that confirmed that – for him at least – this _was_ just a mere warm up.

Petra tried not to roll her eyes.

"Feeling pretty good still? You're looking a little tired." Oluo jeered with a smirk, and Petra made a point of ignoring him, "We've got another three miles to go, and just as a fair warning, Captain always has us sprint that last mile."

There were a few chuckles when Petra's green eyes shot open, and unable to stop the impulse, she looked toward Oluo in sheer disbelief, mouth agape, "Sprinting? A mile? After four miles at this pace? You've….got to be…is this for real?"

Hearing her audible dread and apprehension, Gunther nodded over his shoulder, "He's not pulling your leg, sweetie. We _do_ sprint the last mile; you gonna be able to handle it?"

She couldn't help the miserable sort of groan that left her lips, and Eld snorted from her opposite side, "Now wait, you're not feeling like_ quitting_, are you? If you stop now, Captain would be so irritated that he'd probably kick you out right then and there. You'd lose the bet sure, but you'd save yourself all this_ hassle_ and-"

"What's with all the chatting back there? If you've got time to talk, you've got time to work. Let the girl be and focus on your own performance. Eld, Oluo, Gunther, up here with me. Girl, pick up the pace!"

The blonde gave a smirk and whispered, "Think about it."

With that, the trio ran ahead with little difficulty, and again Petra found herself giving another desperate sigh as she pumped her legs beneath her, just praying that she could somehow keep up because this was _insane_.

Some thirty minutes later, after having miraculously survived their five mile _death _run, they had moved toward the training grounds and were doing an array of nonstop pushups, pull ups, squats – something Petra was certain just might in fact break her, because if the run wasn't hard enough – military or not, she was admittedly on the weaker side in terms of sheer physical strength, and her arms and legs were now trembling beneath her with each new command.

"Down." Levi was walking back and forth in a line as he surveyed his team, watching as they each obeyed and lowered closer toward the ground in a present push up stance. As his eyes scanned down the line of his men, a forced exhale left him as he noticed the sad, pathetic sight that greeted him at the very end of the line.

Not surprisingly, a certain female was clearly having a hard time, and looked just short of passing out. He cocked his head, making a face as he watched her struggle, and he shook his head in sudden displeasure, "Oi, Petra. You kidding me right now?"

He walked over toward her specifically, and he spoke to the group as a whole with an aggravated sigh as he did so, "Up."

Again, his men (and Petra) followed his command, and Levi quirked an eyebrow at the slow, pitiful way the ginger pushed herself up from the ground, using one shaky arm at a time as she pushed herself upward inch by inch in a diagonal sort of line that favored her dominant side. A disbelieving, open-mouthed scowl came to his face, and he groaned at the pathetic display that confirmed that she was undeniably weak, "What_ is_ that? What are you – is that supposed to be a _push up?_ Get your ass out of the air, back straight! The hell is this shit?"

In the next moment, there was a foot suddenly pressed against her rear that was a mix between a shove and a kick downward, and with the fact Petra's body could hardly support her own weight as it was, the sudden force had been more than enough to throw off her balance, and with a surprised and alarmed squeak, she outright collapsed on the ground in a heap.

There was a snort that came from beside her at her less than graceful flailing about, Eld no doubt, and Petra could feel her face turn bright red in embarrassment when she slowly sat up from the ground, hesitantly looking up and seeing the Captain's far from amused expression, his steel blue eyes narrowed onto her in obvious irritation.

"Impressive. I don't think ever I've seen a shittier push up in my life." He stated flatly, and Petra chewed her lip under the weight of his stare, admittedly discouraged because she_ was_ trying, but like Levi, and the men, and everyone else knew, she wasn't nearly at the same skill level and it was showing.

Whereas she was on the ground, panting and heaving for breath after being unable to hold her own body weight in place after running for nearly forty minutes straight, the men were still up in the air, backs straight as a board with tempered, focused expressions because it was clear that _also_ like Levi – this really was just their warm up.

It was crazy. No other squad was expected to train like this, and yet she couldn't deny the results. They truly were in a league all their own, and she…

Petra felt suddenly silly, because while she_ was _talented in terms of her squad, here she was just a joke and would only be holding them back. What Levi had said last night though, that he was just looking for potential – which apparently she had – had he just been saying that because he _assumed _she were more skilled than she actually was? After seeing her like this, would he take it back; look for someone else that was better suited for the job? She certainly wouldn't blame him, and she felt a sort of shame run through her because the men had teased her, had told her flat out that there was no way she could keep up with them, and she supposed that to some extent – they were right. Granted they were wrong about her _reaction_ to it, because she wouldn't just give up or break down into tears over something like this, but looking back, their initial skepticism made sense.

She just wasn't ready for this sort of position. It was above her. It was too much. That man…he was Humanity's Strongest, this team was a direct extension of his abilities, and she was just…Petra Ral. What could she possibly do when placed side by side with someone like that?

When she remained in place, lost in her thoughts and all but waiting for him to dismiss her outright because she was clearly outclassed, Levi quirked an eyebrow and crossed his arms expectantly, "Well? You going to just sit there, or are you going to get back up and keep training? Don't forget you owe me for that little stunt last night, and I don't recall issuing any breaks. Get back in position girl; I don't want to have to tell you again."

She blinked in surprise at his permission – no, his _order _– to continue, a little slow to the draw in her exhaustion, but at Levi's stare, a stare that showed he clearly expected that she could, and _would_ keep pressing on, she forced herself to take confidence not in herself, but rather the Captain that seemed so certain of her hidden potential. She gave a determined nod, a fire returning to her eyes and she readjusted her body; being more intentional about her form because tired though she was, she didn't want the squad _laughing_ at her again.

Levi watched as she repositioned herself upward, and while her form wasn't perfect, Levi made sure she caught his nod of approval, and he resumed his prior pacing without further lingering, "Down."

"Eld," came a quiet, quiet whisper from Oluo, "This is pretty much the end of our warmup and she's still here. No tears and not so much as a single complaint. What do you make of that?"

"Sheer _stupidity._" The blonde responded in an equally hushed, bitter whisper, and he shook his head as he lowered his body to the ground obediently, his voice strained as he continued, "Looking back, it seems we were betting against the _Captain _more than the girl, and now I feel like I've been duped because _of course_ he would have found someone like that; some crazy half-pint that has no logical sense of self preservation. Really should have known better."

There was a slight grunt of agreement from Gunther, "You see the glares she's been shooting at us all day, like she's going to take a swing at us the second Captain's not looking? Pretty sure she even has his temper. I'm beginning to think I shouldn't trust short people."

As they continued whispering amongst themselves, curious as to what other feats the girl might pull off throughout the day, the group missed Levi's pleased, knowing look. Of course of all people, he wasn't surprised in the least. After having seen the girl last night, Levi had known from the very beginning exactly how the men's little wager would turn out in the end. He had said nothing as they pressed her buttons and belittled her outright, because he wanted to see how she would respond – if she would crack under the pressure, or lose her nerve, or if their words would pull that fiery side out of her that she had shown him last night, and as she pushed back, returned their taunts with insults and glares of her own, Levi found that she didn't disappoint and could hold her own just fine.

As it stood now they were a mere ten minutes away from completing their warmup routine for the day, and while it was doubtless that the girl was already nearing the edge of her limits, as Levi stole a glance toward her, seeing the clarity in her eyes, the determination and focus that she carried herself with, her drive to succeed regardless her difference in skill level wasn't lost on him, and he knew doubtlessly that a certain ginger would be ending the day with significantly heavier pockets.

"…And up."

…

* * *

…

At lunch time, Levi found himself at the opposite edge of the grounds, sitting back against a tree and drinking from his water canteen casually, admittedly feeling rather good about how the day had gone so far. That in and of itself was perhaps an oddity, because for all intents and purposes, the training was actually going rather pitifully, and the girl was failing almost every marker imaginable.

Petra struggled at every turn; she was slow, couldn't keep up, wasn't nearly as strong as any of them were, and yet even still, the longer she was with his team, the more confident Levi became that she would be a surprisingly good fit. Yes, he would have a vast amount of work cut out for him in the event that she joined his squad, but after seeing that the girl's potential was a_ very_ real thing as he put her through the ringer and allowed his squad to test her gumption, seeing that Petra could succeed on his squad in a manner that might just appease Erwin - it was putting him in a remarkably good mood.

He had just dismissed his team for lunch, and he hadn't thought too much of it as he watched his subordinates and the girl each walk off toward the tables, making sparing attempts at conversation and instantly going their separate ways as soon as the opportunity presented itself. Not that he knew Petra well, but as for his team, none of them were social and hated having to spend even a second together if it wasn't necessary, and lunch was more often than not spent in complete silence.

At first they all ate alone, as usual, but to his surprise and almost sense of sheer confusion, Petra had called Gunther over toward her for who knows what reason, and he could only assume that Gunther was so mystified that he didn't know what to say or do, other than make his way toward her hesitantly. For a few minutes the two talked, and then Gunther gave a shrug.

"Thanks. Hey, Oluo." The girl called next, signaling him over with a dramatic wave, and Gunther gave a nod and moved back to his table, and it seemed that Oluo was up to bat next. Whatever she needed, Oluo had laughed outright, causing the girl to give him an offended glare, and he was laughing all the more.

Apparently, that was all it had taken. It seemed one by one, someone would have something to say to her – then someone else a few minutes later, another one would pass by and linger, until eventually, Eld sat down at the table, bringing his whole lunch with him and making it obvious that apparently he was just going to be eating lunch with the girl. Not five minutes later, the rest of the squad joined in, and not that Levi would have ever required it as it really didn't bother him if they chose to eat together or not – but like that, so easily, simply by just being there – they were willingly eating together. On purpose.

It was then and there that Levi knew he was on to something, and even he himself found that he was getting up from the ground and moving toward the table curiously.

When he arrived, arms crossed and not certain what to say, not even certain what he was hoping to achieve by being there, he wondered if he had made a mistake by approaching at all, because as he moved toward them there had at first been whispers, but then the conversation died out completely. For a few seconds he stood there awkwardly, wondering if he was supposed to start some form of small talk, when there was a sudden snort from Eld instead.

"Oh, now that the _Captain's_ here she finally shuts up. What, is the little darling suddenly_ shy _around Humanity's Strongest? Shit, please don't tell me you're one of those mindless drones that thinks he hung the moon and stars or something."

"Oh yeah, there's a good question. Are you one of the Captain's fan girls, you know, where you've got this embarrassing obsessive schoolgirl crush on him?" Oluo teased her with a snort, and from where the girl was, sitting at the corner of the table and drinking her water, she gave a sharp gasp and all but choked on the liquid, causing the men to laugh as she coughed dramatically.

"Oh, him? That…is that actually a _thing?_ For real?_ Him?_" She looked him up and down in amazement as though unable to even _fathom _how such a person could be viewed as so overwhelmingly attractive, and the men outright laughed at her unintentionally brutal insult towards their Commanding Officer. Uncertain why they were all laughing, Petra continued looking Levi over confusion, in a manner that clearly said she just wasn't_ seeing_ it, and Levi tried not to glare at her prolonged stare. Not that he was so arrogant that he was offended by the woman not being outright attracted to him; if anything it made things considerably easier if he wasn't her type (with any luck, she'd be into girls or something) but at the same time, he couldn't deny the distaste in his stomach because the longer she stared at him with that confused expression, the more irritated he became.

She cleared her throat in attempts to be polite, having no idea that her reaction previously had more than said enough regarding her first impression, and she gave him an empty smile, "Well, good for you Captain, but I mean, me personally…_ no._ Sorry, but no. I'm sure you're a great guy and everything but…"

She gave a laugh and repeated herself warmly, "No. But I do have a question for you, none the less."

Levi quirked an eyebrow when she fell suspiciously quiet, a sort of reluctance to her expression because it was obvious she had more to say, and from across the table Gunther gave an amused shake of his head, "Where's those nerves of steel at? Come on, just ask him already."

Levi turned his attention back to the girl, because apparently he had been the center of their conversation before he arrived – that would certainly explain their sudden silence - and he looked at her curiously because she seemed to have some question for him specifically. She was blushing heavily now, staring into the ground nervously, and she spoke in a quiet mumble, "I was just curious Captain…uh, you know…if you…"

As she looked into the table in obvious discomfort, the men looked up toward Levi, amusement clear in their eyes, and part of him wondered if maybe the girl _did _have some sort of crush on him, regardless her previous denial, because with how she was sputtering out her words and avoiding mere eye contact with him, Levi found he had been in this position before and it never ended pleasantly. _Usually_ when girls behaved so irritably around him, they were five seconds away from asking him out and gods help him, if this girl really was just some fan girl, he wasn't sure how he would respond because she showed promise, and yet he vehemently _detested_-

"How many Titans have you killed?" she asked suddenly, now looking up toward him directly, but with a gravely serious expression. "Like, a hundred? Two hundred? What's your average kill count per expedition? Is it all solo, or assists?"

Levi blinked at her barrage of questions, and if it weren't for the strange line up of events, he may have even found amusement in her curiosity, but more than anything, he found that he was mostly relieved that she wasn't trying to ask him out. He looked down at her and shook his head seriously, "I don't know. I've never kept count."

The disappointment on her face was palpable, and her jaw dropped open in disbelief, "Wait. For real?"

Eld chuckled from beside her and gave a light slap on her shoulder, "That's what we told you."

She groaned, "But I…" again she sighed, "Uh, what about other numbers then? Like, your mile time? Or rotations through the obstacle course? Are_ those_ recorded anywhere? I'd be curious what your efficiencies are, you know, as like the official standard of success in the Scout Regiment."

Levi couldn't help the sort of confusion he felt, and before he had the opportunity to create some sort of response, Oluo laughed, "Ah, I see you're competitive as well. If you want to take the Captain head on, then you've got to get a lot more training under your belt because you and him are _worlds _apart."

The girl groaned and crossed her arms defensively, "I'm not trying to beat him, I just, well I'm curious how my numbers would stack up against his I guess." She gave a slight sigh and looked into the table, picking at her sandwich as she spoke thoughtfully, "I know I'm only here because you guys are looking to fill in that other spot, and as cool as this has been to see how a team like this functions, it's painfully clear that I've got a lot to learn before I'm ready for something like this. I get that, and so aside from the fact that you are all rude, fowl mouthed, prideful assholes-"

"Oh, thanks Sweetheart." Eld batted his eyes at her and she rolled her eyes.

"Petra." She emphasized with a correcting, but amused smile, and she continued with a suddenly warm expression, "All I've really got is just this one day, so I want to learn all that I can from you guys, you know? The more I learn, the more I can take back to _my _squad come Monday, and we'll all be better off for it at the next go around. But…" her look turned somewhat mischievous and she shrugged innocently as she looked around the table with a taunting smirk, "Anytime you guys want to bet against me in the future, you let me know. I'm always game to make a quick buck and I'm sitting at a table of Class A Suckers."

There were some chuckles, and Eld spoke again, "You know Petra, I was thinking about that. If you recall earlier, we talked about going double or nothing? Granted, I didn't see it going_ this_ route but how about we make things more interesting. We've still got the last half of the day and-"

As Eld began to explain himself, try to convince her to cut them some slack and make a new wager that was more in their favor, Levi crossed his arms and shook his head, "No, that bet is over Eld, because_ I_ have a deal of my own, and I don't want your stupid bets to interfere."

At his statement, the entire table watched the Captain curiously, and he took a breath, "You've done well Petra, better than I expected in some ways, and considering you're still here and holding your own; well. If you give up and walk out, then it's for the best because my team has no place for quitters anyway. But."

He nodded to himself, looking around at his subordinates who were suddenly smirking, nodding toward him in agreement because they could see where this was going. After seeing the girl's determination, seeing the same potential in her that Levi himself had noticed, it seemed they supported his judgement call unanimously and were in complete agreement, "If you make it; if you can last through the rest of the day like you did this morning – and fair warning I'm going to push you _hard_, girl – well, if you can do_ that_… then we'll consider the position filled and I'll get started on the paperwork tonight."

Oluo gave a chuckle and nodded toward her, "Gods, can you believe this? Captain is _such _a one upper. Gotta say though, the guy knows how to take it up a notch, wouldn't you say?"

The girl blinked, stuttering at first and feeling self-conscious under the sudden weight of the men's amused stares as they watched her for an answer, "Are you…is this…Captain, you _know_ that if you make a deal like that, that of course I'll come through in the end because, well, I'd be stupid not to. But I just…" she mentally fumbled for her words all the more and slowly looked toward him in obvious concern, somewhat wishing this were a private conversation because she was certain he was pulling her leg and she didn't want to get her hopes up.

She turned toward him and whispered, even though the rest of the squad would still be able to hear her just the same, "You can't be serious. I am still standing yes, but I couldn't keep up for any part of that this morning! I can't run as fast, I'm not all that strong – we haven't even gotten started with the 3DM gear and-"

"I'm not worried about that." Levi cut her off, looking around toward his men flatly, "Even if it was all just to team up and bully you, this is the first time this squad has actually functioned and acted like it were made of _teammates_ rather than enemies. You don't have to tell me, but what were you all talking about earlier, when you called my men over one by one and it somehow led to this?"

Petra merely shrugged in sudden confusion, as though it were such a simple matter that his asking at all confounded her, "Oh, that? I just had some questions is all, nothing crazy. I would have called you over too, but you saved me the time and came over here yourself. I told you earlier that I wanted to take as much back to my squad on Monday, so earlier I asked Gunther if he had any 3DM gear tips or if he'd be willing to, you know, tell me what was going on when we start formations in a bit or why you all did things the way you did versus other methods used by the Scout Regiment. I figured that even if you were all being a little arrogant and making a point of teasing me, surely you wouldn't be so heartless as to deny me the right to learn from you. No one wants a fellow Scout to flounder on the battlefield, and I figured I'd get some feedback over what makes me so different from you guys while I had the chance."

She took a breath and continued, "Gunther answered what he could of course, but at one point he said that Oluo would actually be better suited to give me some advice, because it was an area he was stronger in, and as my questions continued and highlighted different people's strengths, it just lead to a free for all where whoever felt best suited answered the questions, or they'd debate methods and… in time I guess it was just easier to camp out here instead of walking back and forth constantly." She paused and shot a perturbed look, "Why is he looking at me like this is such a weird thing? It's just people talking over lunch."

Levi couldn't help but give a mystified shake of his head as his team gave her a few, innocent shrugs, because those were important conversations that Levi had _wanted_ to have in the past – who's strengths were what, ways to increase their efficiencies and open up dialogue that encouraged those interactions between his men – but each time he had, it had been looked at as a _business_ conversation where the answers were forced, professional, and quickly became a matter of his men running off their Titan Slaying resumes in attempt to show the rest up.

Thinking about it now, Levi supposed in some ways it was almost sad. Here this girl could come in, and just due to the nature of her being notably less than – smaller in size, younger, eager to learn but able to hold her own in a way that made her somewhat amusing and certainly more approachable than himself - she was able to accomplish something Levi hadn't been able to accomplish in months, and with notably minimal effort on her end.

Levi took a breath and picked his words carefully, "I know you're worried about skill, and while you don't know me all that well, you should know that I don't speak flippantly or give false hope. If you have the drive and will to improve, I swear to you that I can get you up to par with the rest of my men. It will take time, and it won't be easy because the gap is tangible and you have a lot of bad habits that could get us and you killed, but your potential is undeniable and I can work with you step by step."

Petra looked up toward him nervously as though doubting his words, obviously undecided and gun-shy, and Levi crossed his arms, "Petra. I _can_ teach you and mold you into a soldier worthy of my team, I promise. Now granted throughout that process, you may come to hate me, or resent me, or regret your decision completely, but you should be aware, I won't permit you to give up or back out once you're on my squad, so give it some honest thought before you make any hasty judgement calls. if you're not interested or are too intimidated by how we operate; if you can't act with that same confidence you had throughout this morning, then feel free to walk away now and we'll consider your time successfully served regarding yesterday's infraction. If you want to make a difference though, if you_ really_ want to amplify your power to take out as many of those 'naked, disgusting fucks' with whatever time you've got left, well." He allowed himself a smirk, seeing a blush rise to her face at his previous use of her own words, and he nodded toward her flatly, "I can make that happen, and I _will_, but only if you are willing."

She fell silent as though thinking his words over, and she looked toward him seriously, "I'll…yeah. I'm sorry; let me ask some questions now, if that's okay? If I _were_ on this squad, you are all separated from the main ranks, right? Does that mean I'd be moving out of the women's barracks and into the main Compound? That's where the Special Ops squad takes residence, if I'm not mistaken?"

Levi gave a nod, and Petra's eyebrows drew together in concern, "Okay. Well from the get-go, I'd need my own room and that's a nonnegotiable for me. I get that I can change in the bathroom or whatever, but I don't want to share a living space with men. It's not decent, and it's not practical."

"Is she negotiating terms with him? Is she allowed to do that?" Oluo mumbled, and there was a quiet 'Man, shut up.' from Gunther.

"That's fair." Levi stated with a pensive nod, admittedly not having thought too much about the differences that might have to be made if they were officially going to be a coed squad, and he was happy she made the mention of that now, rather than later, "I'll see that arrangements are made so that you have a private space to yourself."

"And." Petra looked around the table with a narrowed stare, "You will all have to cut out all these cutesy nicknames because I won't stand for it. No sweetie, no dearie, or honey. I may be a girl, but I'm a soldier first and foremost, and I don't want you talking down to me like that because its demeaning and disrespectful. My _name_ is Petra and I expect to be called as such."

A long silence fell over the table, where Levi gave his men an expectant stare because he had _also_ heard those nicknames thrown around throughout the day, and innocent or not, they all knew that the only reason they were used at all was simply because she was a girl. Levi could understand her dislike, and decided to support her valid callout.

Eventually Eld gave a nod, "Okay, yeah that's also fair. Petra it is."

Levi looked back toward the ginger flatly, "Any other _baggage_ you want to bring to the table? Last minute demands you feel the need to force at the time of a job offer that apparently can't wait until _after_ training is over?"

She smirked at his sarcastic response and nodded, "Just one. I don't know what time you normally hang out, but in the event that I were to join this squad, I'd need some avenue to get to know you guys. Maybe…do you all drink coffee? If I were to make coffee each morning, before we report for duty I mean, would you all consider showing up? It's just…if I'm going to be placed on a new team, I'd like to invest and learn about each of you outside of training and such; it's good for teamwork and I need to know who I'm fighting with out on the battlefield."

A long silence fell over the group, and Levi intentionally remained silent himself, curious to see how the group would respond to her words as they exchanged worried glances. Eventually Gunther spoke up, "I kinda think you're getting the wrong impression by this Petra. Just because we are on the same squad doesn't mean we plan on going out of our way to be overly friendly. We all have our lives outside of the job so let's just keep it at that and -"

At Gunther's attempt of letting her down easy, she rolled her eyes and looked around the table seriously in obvious displeasure, "Oh no you don't. Absolutely not. You all went out of your way this morning to belittle me and I'm still here – the least you could do is have a cup of coffee with me a few times before training to show me that you can be decent human beings. I get you're all gruff manly men or whatever, but if I'm going to be on a team with someone, it's going to be a _real _team, where we talk and encourage each other and act like we actually give a damn if someone lives or dies. You are all supposed to be the best of the best or whatever, right? That means teamwork too, so I won't accept anything less or this standoffish, too cool for school approach. I'm making coffee, and you are all showing up. Understood?"

By the end of her speech, the men and even Levi himself, were wearing surprised expressions, mouths hanging slightly open by the way she outright lectured them, and as the silence extended, at the sheer irony of it all, Eld was suddenly laughing heartily, collapsing across the table and wiping his eyes dramatically as he spoke between fits of laughter, "Captain how do you _do _it? Where do you get people like this? This girl is so young, a mere cadet, and she has the gall to tell us, and _Humanity's Strongest_ what to do. I can't believe it!"

The blonde's laughter eventually tapered off and he looked toward Petra with a nod, "You know what Petra, fine. You make it through training today and decide you want to join us officially, then come whenever the change is made and you find yourself aligned to the Captain, I'll make a point to be there. At the very least, you're a funny gal. I like that."

She grinned, "Great! Looking forward to it. What about you three?"

Oluo gave a shrug, "Well, I like your spirit. I suppose a cup of coffee before we have to get a jump on the day wouldn't be so bad. But maybe just a few times; I'm not promising eternity or anything."

"That's understandable, and I'll take what I can get. Gunther, Captain?"

Gunther exhaled and crossed his arms defensively, "I'll…think about it. Mornings aren't my thing and I like sleeping in."

Petra gave him a less than enthusiastic stare, but accepted his answer because he seemed to be sincere in his response, and she finally looked toward Levi, "And you, Captain? Got to admit, I'm curious about you the most. I get the feeling you're a quiet guy, but if you're going to be my Commanding Officer, I need to know what you expect from me."

Levi quirked an eyebrow and watched her curiously, "And you want to have those conversations over coffee, in front of the whole squad?"

She smirked and turned toward him, "Is that a problem? Are my expectations any_ different_ from theirs? What might cause that, Captain? Surely nothing to do with my age or gender, right? Because _that _would be discrimination."

Levi found himself amused by her retort, and he exhaled as he thought her original question over, "I have other responsibilities outside of just running this squad, so I don't always have the luxury of free time in the mornings. If I do, I'll…make an appearance, perhaps."

Before she could respond further, Levi cleared his throat seriously and gave a sweeping glance over his subordinates, "Enough chatting, all of you. Lunch is over in ten minutes and you need to eat because we're going to show this cadet why this squad is so different from the others. On that note, Petra, don't eat too fast or you'll throw up later."

At his words and serious expression, she frowned miserably because she knew that no part of him was being sarcastic or trying to tease her, he was rather giving her an honest heads up, and she was officially dreading what the rest of the day would entail.

As Levi took a step away from the table, he paused as though just remembering something, and he turned over his shoulder with a smirk, "Oh and one more thing. Regarding this morning Petra, make sure they all pay up. You earned it."

"Of course. And…just so you know, I'll do it, Captain."

Levi paused in place at the girl's words, looking back over his shoulder as she looked up toward him with a face of determination, "I'd say it's a bit premature but…I'm stubborn and I've made up my mind. I'll get through the day, and when I do, I'll join your squad. If you think that I have that potential and are willing to work with me, I'll admit I'm a bit skeptical, but if you're half the man people say you are, then I have nothing to worry about. So…I accept your offer."

He gave a single nod, his expression not changing as he gave her a long stare.

"Very well then, Petra."

At that, he walked away and as the squad wished her congratulations, laughed because she had no idea what she was in for and confirmed that she had just signed her life away to the devil himself, Levi found that while he was pleased, perhaps a little anxious regarding how to make good on his promise to coach her appropriately, more than anything, he found he was relieved.

When his squad was first created, the three men he selected were simply _told _they would be placed on his squad and weren't given the option to refuse. For them, it had worked well enough for the most part and they accepted the change without much fuss. They were traditional military men who had no problem following the rules even if they disagreed or didn't want to, as they viewed it as part of their basic job functionality.

Petra was different though; that had become very obvious very fast, and even with what little he knew about her, Levi already knew he couldn't treat her or coach her the same way he did his men.

The more he had watched her throughout the day, the more certain he was that Petra was the _right_ addition that would turn his squad around completely and he had been tempted more than once to just call the day off and go to Erwin then and there, but even still, regardless his certainty and the fact that his squad so easily embraced her, even with her flaws and lacking skill – Levi knew the final say would need to come from _her_ because Petra simply wasn't like the rest of his men.

In a word, she was stubborn.

There would be no point in forcing a girl like that to bend to his command, because it was obvious rules and rank meant absolutely nothing to her in the first place. If she didn't want him as her Commanding Officer, his forcing her wouldn't change anything and would only make his team fall apart from the inside as she fought against him at every turn.

No, with a girl like Petra…if she didn't agree and choose him in the same way that he had chosen her, then he'd have to let her go, regardless his feelings on the matter.

And because of that fact alone, Levi found that he had been legitimately… fearful that she_ would _say no in the end. He wanted her to say yes, he wanted her to choose him and his team, but some part of him felt as though she were making a judgement call based on who he was as a person and Captain, and fact of the matter was, his track record for such a thing was admittedly poor.

Well.

Regardless the fact that the day wasn't over so _technically_ nothing was official just yet, Levi knew just as doubtlessly that the girl would make good on her promise and his search for the elusive fifth member for his squad was at an end. While he was dreading the paperwork that he would be swamped with over the next few weeks, he was anticipating what Erwin would have to say when he learned exactly who it was that he had decided on.

He had been surprised later that evening, when after telling Erwin about his selection, that the Commander stared at him in outright _confusion_ and what seemed like a cautious sort of disbelief.

"Petra Ral?" he repeated, almost in wonder, and Erwin shook his head as he watched Levi seriously, "You sure that's a good idea, Captain?"

Levi was actually surprised by Erwin's hesitance, and he shrugged simply, caught off guard and perhaps a little defensive under the weight of Erwin's obvious concern, "Yeah. Sure she's a cadet and I've got my work cut out for me, but I really think that-"

Erwin shook his head and waved his hand dismissively, "No, not _that_. She's always had that potential and drive to her, according to the training division at least. I'm not worried on that front because she'd be a good fit and I trust your judgment for those things, it's just, Levi with _your_ personality and hers…"

Erwin fell silent, watching Levi seriously as though expecting him to fill in the blanks, and the Captain merely stared at him in question, and eventually shrugged, "What? You think we'll fight all the time? Maybe, but how should I know? It's too early to tell. If you're worried about that, don't be. She's sarcastic and stubborn and will push the line just as far as she can, but I can handle that because it's nothing I haven't dealt with before. Besides, no one really 'works well' with me anyway, so I'm not concerned if we butt heads from time to time."

Erwin's eyes narrowed for a long moment, watching Levi with a studious expression and eventually, the Commander gave a warm laugh at what seemed to be his own private joke, shaking his head mirthfully and rubbing his forehead as he thought it all over.

The Commander's odd smile grew all the more and he nodded toward Levi with an accepting sigh, "Well, if you're so certain, then you have my support Captain. I'll let you fill out the forms and you can expect the change to take place officially in about two weeks. You are welcome to wait for that time, or if you'd rather unofficially move her over now and start your training on Monday, that is fine with me as well."

Levi rolled his eyes, "You know how I feel about these things, Erwin."

The Commander chuckled at his predictability, "Of course Captain. I'll alert her dorm head and have her start moving her things over tonight, and you can expect her to be moved in completely come Monday morning. I presume you have a space in mind for her? Surely you aren't planning on sticking her in with the rest of your squad's shared space? While I suppose you could, that might make her feel a little uncomfortable, to say the least."

"No, she actually brought that up herself earlier today. As we speak, I have the men cleaning out one of the empty offices for her. It's a little small mind you, but probably more space than she's got in the shared barracks, so I don't think she'll mind."

Erwin folded his hands across his desk and watched the Captain in approval, "Good. I'll expect a meeting with yourself and her in my office tomorrow evening so we can go over the details of her transfer and subsequent promotion. You'll be ready?"

Levi nodded simply, believing their business to be completed and wanting to get a jump on the paperwork, but as he moved toward the door, Erwin spoke up, "And Levi. If you find yourself…getting in over your head perhaps …You _will _let me know."

The Commander's last statement was so odd, but spoken with such a grave _seriousness_ that Levi could do nothing but give a slow, uncertain nod in return, "…Yes, sir."

When the door closed behind him, another amused chuckle left the Commander.

A girl like Petra, on a team of all men and following the Command of someone like Levi…

Well, at the very least, Erwin was certain that there would never be a dull moment in the new and improved Squad Levi.

…

* * *

End of Chapter

* * *

…

Aaaaand that will do!

I'm thrilled yall seemed to love this flashback scene as much as I did. Like I said last week, this section kind of wrote itself and like some of yall pointed out, it was so fun to see how they started, versus how the team thrives and functions today. And of course….Erwin.

Throughout this chapter and last, I think Erwin is just the best. He's a brilliant leader who knows when to say no, who knows how to compromise, but most importantly, knows how to manage his subordinates and drive their performance. I love the fact that (last chapter) when Levi shows up and says hey I've got a problem, Erwin has the wisdom to not step in because Levi needs to learn how to problem solve on his own. Yes, he's bad with people, but that's not an excuse as to why he gets a free pass every time someone doesn't want to work with him. And then this end here, where Erwin is just like *insert long stare* Seriously Levi…you don't see it?

*Levi blinks*

*Erwin holds back a snort and slowly turns to give camera a knowing stare*

Ahhh, but alas. Obviously, we can't stay in flashback mode forever guys. We got our second wind and next week its back to the progressive plot.

Stay safe, stay _smart_, and I'll see yall next week!

~Mid


	52. The One Where They Have a Night Off

Morning guys. *rubs eyes and yawns* I usually make a habit of doing my edits on Saturday night, then getting to just wake up and effectively hit send - but I've been writing up new material and editing a VERY important future chapter that literally took eh, lets see…just shy of three MONTHS to write from start to end? Yeah.

Let it be known that last night I finally finished said chapter, edited it, and it is post ready and *happy sigh* Yall will love it when you get there. I'll be sure to point it out and be like, this is the one that took so long. And yall will instantly understand_ why_ it took so long – but at always one step at a time because that's a while away. Just wanted to share my success on that one, because as a writer I haven't had too much issue with writer's block for this piece, but sometimes getting a chapter chiseled down to how I want it is truly tricky and frustrating work.

None the less, things are still crazy with the pandemic. I'm happy to say that my job is one marked as 'essential' so even as cities move/remain in lockdown, I still have my job – with _overtime_ no less - the husband still has his job and his full hours, and in truth, some part of me feels guilty as I know there are SO many others that aren't as lucky, but our little family is doing well and is blessed during this time. So…just for those wondering or worried - We're good. Truly.

I hope yall are doing well, and that you are doing your part in social distancing (in the event you still have the freewill to travel outside of the home of course haha) Be safe, be smart, and thanks for showing up each week! Yall are awesome and I hope this makes your week a little better :)

…

* * *

…

After a particularly long day of meetings and numbers and action plans, Petra almost mentally scoffed at the thought because it hadn't been a long _day _of meetings – it had been a long handful of nonstop _weeks_ of meetings and statistics - so admittedly, Petra was thrilled when Erwin said that they all needed a break. It was while leadership and herself was gathered in Erwin's office that the blonde gave a sudden pause and declared that after dinner, he was cancelling all their meetings and scheduled events, because he was ordering each of them to take some intentional personal time.

While it was only a few hours at best, it was more than any of them had had in weeks, and Petra found herself anxiously eating dinner as quickly as possible before moving through the compound and intentionally making her way toward Levi's room. She peered into his room, which she knew would be empty, as Levi had left the dining hall rather quickly to take a shower, and Petra had successfully wagered that she would end up beating him back to his room.

Truth be told, she wasn't exactly sure how the Captain would respond to her just appearing in his room without cause like this. While this was far from the first time she had sought him out for intentional company, this_ was_ the first time she didn't have an excuse to hide behind that masked the fact that really, she just wanted to see him. Normally she would have tried to find _something _to bring up, even the smallest item of business that she could spring board off from, and then just conveniently_ not_ leave once her problem had been addressed, but the problem here was they had all had a meeting not two hours ago where any business they had needed to discuss had been taken care of then and there, and the Captain would have known as much. No, she was waiting for him, in his room, completely uninvited, with no reason to hide behind, other than the fact that she just…wanted to spend some time with him.

The truth of the situation made her feel far too vulnerable and exposed, and if it weren't for the fact that some part of her knew it was now or never because who knew the next time Erwin would give them a night off like this, Petra likely would have chickened out and left his room without a trace, in fear of being somewhat rejected, because what if she, in and of herself, just wasn't enough?

Maybe that was too dramatic, because she knew it wasn't always that personal.

What if he was tired? Or had wanted a quiet night to himself, considering his timetables had _also_ been just as overloaded as her own? That was more than fair, because everyone had been overloaded for so long now and they each needed to find some way to unwind. Was she being too selfish perhaps; forcing him into a situation where he had to give even _that _time to her as well? Maybe her being here at all really _was _a bad idea. After all, her bedroom door was_ just_ as open, so if he wanted to see her, he could always visit her on his own so there was no need to outright corner him like this, right?

Before Petra had the ability to make a sudden retreat, having successfully talked herself out of the risk and now convinced that this was in fact, a terrible idea, it was then that the door handle began to turn and Levi walked in. His gaze was focused on the ground, but after quickly noting that he wasn't alone in his room, he looked up in slow confusion and he blinked as though thoroughly surprised, seeing Petra nervously standing near his dresser and watching him hesitantly.

"Petra?" his voice was a low question, and his eyes spoke of concern.

She could understand his confusion. It wasn't like her to come to his room like this, business or otherwise. She had always met him in his office because there was something much more intimate when they were alone in one of their bedrooms, but she knew that with how busy Levi was, combined with the fact that there wasn't much paperwork for him to fill out now that Hanji, herself, and Erwin were taking the brunt of the Regiment's paperwork during this unique time of transition, she knew full well that he wouldn't linger in his office once he was showered off.

Still, the last time she had been in his room like this, it had been when he was sick – when she came at the dead of night to check on him just one last time, and had ended up staying next to him all night instead, resting on the floor near his bed as she cared for his breaking fever. There had been such a tenderness, a displayed trust and care and acceptance that night, and looking back now, Petra supposed that really was where it had all begun.

She took a deep breath, then gave an exhale of defeat and nodded, because as Levi stood in the doorway, watching her in wonder, she realized that her avenue of escape had just been cut off completely and her nervousness grew tenfold as a result, "Uh, yeah. Hey, Captain."

At her obvious discomfort, Levi's eyebrows furrowed and he quickly closed the door behind him, turning back toward her as he clicked the lock in place and walked across his room in concern, "What's wrong?"

Petra realized that in her ill ease, she had incorrectly given Levi the impression that something bad had happened to some degree, and she waived her hands in clarification at his intense and dark expression, because it looked like he was ready to bash someone's face in if she so much as gave a name. "Oh, no no Captain! Nothing is wrong, I came here to…well, uh, check on you."

Levi paused in place, a single eyebrow quirked as he watched her in even greater confusion, "_Check_ on me?"

She groaned at her poor choice of words and nodded sheepishly, "Well yes, but no. Not like that, you know, like you're sick or anything. I just wanted to see how it's going, you know, with uh…you? Just…you know, how's it…going?"

Levi's expression only contorted further, until his mouth was somewhat open as he stared at her in wonder, and Petra could feel a blush rising to her face because this was… _not_ going well. At all.

A thick silence fell over the room, and Levi spoke hesitantly, a sudden suspicion lacing his tone as he watched her with narrowed eyes, "It's…fine. I guess. Look, did Erwin send you here or something? Some update or problem that just came to light? Did I do something wrong?"

At his question, the fact that Levi was asking _her_ if there was a problem with _his _performance, it almost seemed like an out of body experience, because oh how the tables had turned in the past few months, and Petra bit her lip and sighed in growing frustration and dread, "No, no Levi. Alright, I know I'm communicating poorly. I'm sorry, I just…I'm nervous."

Levi gave a slow nod, also able to see that Petra was agitated about _something_, and he watched her expectantly, because as it stood now, he still had _no _idea as to why she had come to his room like this, and his theories ranged from her being angry, over worked, sick of working with Hanji (he certainly would be, so that seemed the most likely) or that she did have some degree of bad news or coaching from Erwin, but was too nervous to actually spit it out.

Eventually Petra gave a long sigh, a nervous smile on her lips as she stared into the ground, "Levi, I'm literally here, just to see _you_. Okay? That's all. I'm sorry, I know I wasn't invited, and this is your room so I really shouldn't have just barged in here, and I'm sure you're tired so…so I won't take up your time, I just – it's been a while, you know?" She took a breath, finding that she was fiddling with the ends of her shirt nervously, and she didn't dare look up at her Captain as she spoke further in quiet admission, "I'm used to spending all my time with you, and now I'm spending _none_ of my time with you, and it's been so long so I just wanted to run into you, without it having to be business or reports or numbers, but…but I know that you need to relax and unwind too, so I'll just…" she nodded toward the door and turned toward her crutches so she could make a rather inglorious and pitiful escape, and from across the room Levi gave a rather dramatic roll of his eyes.

Before she could so much as grab her crutches, let alone use them to try and walk out, Levi had moved toward her, grabbed them instead, and Petra's head shot up from the ground as she watched Levi intentionally move her crutches to the _opposite_ end of the room, effectively leaving her all but marooned at his desk – unless she wanted to literally crawl across the ground to retrieve them.

Not likely.

"Captain, what are you-"

He turned back toward her and watched her flatly, "Oh, you're not fucking going _anywhere_ woman, because I've got a bone to pick with you. _You_, the woman who has upheaved the entire Scout Regiment in giving them this newfound 'hope' to the extent they are calling you some sort of angel or some shit – you have single handedly worked me harder in this three week timeframe than I've worked this entire_ year_, all while you're supposed to be on leave, mind you. Remember that? How you being injured like this was going to make it so you were _off duty_, relaxing, and healing, for a minimum of six damn weeks?" He crossed his arms and scoffed, "How _is_ it that you always get your way? It's statistically impossible, and yet somehow it all just_ magically_ works itself out for you every damn time."

At his words, Petra watched him in question, her mouth falling open as though she didn't know what to say, and eventually, a sort of amused smirk came from Levi and a low chuckle left him. "And _now_ you come here, unannounced, when I haven't had so much as an hour of spare time in weeks, all because you just want to see me, and thereby assume that I'll just drop everything to appease _your _selfish demands?"

Her voice came out in an alarmed sort of squeak, "No, you don't_ have_ to, Captain, I just – I was going to leave because I know it's asking a lot but-"

At her scrambling retort, her embarrassed and panicked expression, the fact that she had also been equally as busy and yet of all things she _could_ have prioritized, she found herself in _his_ room first and foremost - a sincere laugh left him, musical and warm, and whatever retort Petra was organizing further died on her tongue outright.

Levi shook his head, his laughter still continuing and eventually he looked toward her with a sort of smile that made her stomach do nervous flips, "Gods woman, you're such…fuck, you're just such a damn brat!"

A blush rose to her face at his direct stare, admittedly still embarrassed by his words that were intentionally meant to poke fun at her, but still, if it meant she got to hear him laugh like that again, she found she didn't mind at all. A cautious smile came to her lips regardless her embarrassment, and she watched him warmly because at the very least he didn't seem to be mad at her, and Levi's smile grew ever so slightly as Petra watched him with a hesitant smile.

"Sorry. But still, it's…good to see you, Levi. And while I'm not really sorry for the reasoning's that have led you to a heavier workload, I _am_ sorry for the inconvenience of it all. I know the numbers aspect, but beyond that I'm kind of blind because it's all just numbers on my end. I don't want the business answer, so don't think that, just…tell me, how's training been going with the Scouts? I know you're all making progress but…"

Levi nodded, understanding what she meant and he gave a shrug as he walked toward her, pulling the chair in his room toward her so she could take a seat, and he also retired, sitting down on the edge of his bed in a sudden plop because perhaps it_ would_ be nice to talk about his work with her, without it needing to be the professional 'HR' response.

He rubbed his temples with one hand, any amusement in his features instantly gone as he responded in sheer exhaustion, "Well frankly, it's been a long time since I've had to train anyone who isn't some variance of an elite soldier, so remind me to thank you all come the time that we can actually return to our normal training, because this is all just asinine. Half of the cadets don't learn anything unless you beat them half to death, and the other half are scared so shitless that they can't even look me in the eye."

As he spoke, he rubbed his shoulder with an irritated huff, and shook his head again, "How about you? Surely you've fallen into the groove of working with Hanji and Erwin, where by now the novelty has worn off. How is that all going? Still liking it, or have you finally figured out that you delved into work that's _way_ above your head?"

Petra gave an amused laugh, and sighed with an accepting nod, "Well Captain, unfortunately there's some truth to that for sure. For the most part I keep up just fine and can balance my work load pretty decently, but I've gotten a bit lost in my own thoughts once or twice, fell victim to my own poor time management, and they've had to bail me out a time or two throughout this process. I'd say that I'm doing well for a complete novice who's never had any formal training with these sorts of matters, but I'd be lying if I said that you couldn't tell a difference between my work versus Hanji or the Commander's. There's little doubt that I'm over my head, but it's sink or swim and no one has time for me to fail or buckle under the pressure. So…I make due I guess, but it's been hectic."

A silence fell over the room, and Levi watched his subordinate with a suddenly serious expression, "Tell me Petra, because I know the thought has crossed your mind, as it _should_ have." He paused as a frown came to his face, and he moved his opposite arm back to his shoulder, rubbing the joint in small circles as he amended his words, "Well, I guess you don't have to tell me, as like an_ order_ or anything, because really I'm just curious is all, but…are you considering a change of position or promotion after all of this? Your end of year review is coming up next quarter and you've built quite the case for yourself, should you choose to pursue a different role in the military."

The way he watched her combined with the weight of his question admittedly caught her off guard, because while it hadn't been her persay _goal_ in any of this, it didn't escape her notice that Erwin and Hanji were going well out of their way to train her and build up her still raw skillset. In their conversations, in their intentional teaching, they made no attempts to disguise the fact they intended to utilize her skills in the future, and Petra was well aware that their end goal of molding her into a sort of analyst created a conflict of interests that would eventually come to a head, and soon.

The only reason her skills could be used at all like this right now was because she was on_ leave_, and therefore, not reporting directly under Levi, where his team specialized in _tactics_ on the battlefield, as Levi himself was the most dangerous weapon the Scouts could lay claim to, and his squad was an extension of his extraordinary talent that served to amplify his impact on the battlefield.

While equally important, the two groups had little to do with the other, and regardless the fact she had been a top performer on Levi's squad for years, even still, Erwin and Hanji so confidently spoke as though it would only be a matter of time before she was working with them side by side in a researching, theoretics sort of position. While she appreciated that she _could_ help them and was thrilled that she had seemed to find her niche in the military, more than that it concerned her because she didn't really know if that was what she wanted, and if these last few weeks had taught her _anything_ – she knew doubtlessly that there was no successful way to do both.

She had tried that once already; running under the command of Levi during the day, then trying to do an entire day's worth of research for Erwin in a mere four hours during the night, all while cutting out her sleep and meals, and it was no surprise Levi had intervened in the manner he had, because she had declined _fast._

Due to her newly gained experience of working under the direct tutelage of both Hanji and Erwin, she now knew her mental boundaries almost as well as her physical ones –something she had _no_ concept of a mere two months ago – and ironically enough, if Erwin had come to her in the present day with a similar stipulation that would have so obviously overloaded her work day, with such little probability of payout, she would guiltlessly give him a flat out no because it was more than exhausting all of her resources and unless he could give her something more tangible, it just wouldn't be worth her time.

Back then she had been too inexperienced and naïve to see the dangers of exerting her mind past its limitations, and while Levi had warned her and tried to convince her otherwise, Erwin knew full well that with her stubbornness, her idealistic, untrained sort of optimism would win out in the end and it led her down the path she found herself on now.

As she thought about Levi's question, she found she didn't have an easy answer, and she looked into the floor as she attempted to sort her thoughts, "About that. I've been thinking about that night in your office. You remember? You gave me a lot of sound advice that day, but I just wasn't experienced enough to understand it and so I disregarded it completely. I'm…childish in that manner I suppose, and for whatever it's worth I'm sorry because you were right about everything, which of course, you knew already. You gave me a verbal beating because you knew I hadn't really thought ahead in terms of what this would do for my mental state and career, and I got so mad at you and left instead of even _trying_ to hear you out."

She gave a sad smile and shot him an apologetic frown, "Now here we are, almost two months later and I'm wishing I _had _slowed down a little more, like you said, because I've placed myself at a fork in the road and I find that I'm much more comfortable in a place where I_ don't_ have to make all these dire decisions that dictate the lives of other people that I'm now apparently responsible for. A mere _oversight_ on my end equates to the outright _death_ of another and…well, I'm not exactly sleeping all that great right now, because the pressure is immense and I'm up all night wondering if I could have done it any better. I know I'm too far in to walk away now, but sometimes the mental strain is too much and…"

Petra gave a longsuffering sigh, and Levi didn't miss the dark, jaded sort of shadowed look in her eyes, nor her words that were clearly coming from a place of newly gained experience. He couldn't help the twinge of wistfulness he felt, because the haunted look she wore now - he had been in her shoes once, at a cross roads and wondering just how far down the rabbit hole he was willing to go, and to this day, he still couldn't really say if he had come out on top or not.

He exhaled and crossed his arms thoughtfully, "Well, that all-consuming guilt goes away - with time. Eventually you become _used_ to making those tough judgment calls that will undoubtedly save _some_, but outright sacrifice others. It will just be part of your day and I can say from experience that you'll grow numb to it entirely." Levi paused and a sort of dark smirk came to his lips, "Although. That fact in and of itself can really fuck you up from time to time too, in its own way at least."

At his words, her expression grew all the more pensive, and she nodded softly, "I can see that. At least, I can_ start _to see that anyhow. It's hard, because some part of me really likes knowing that what I'm here doing is making a difference; a_ real_ difference. Erwin has been preparing a deck for the Royal Government that he should be sending to them any day now, because if this worked for the Scout Regiment, there's no reason this wouldn't work for the other factions too, and if as a whole the military can start saving so much on gas costs each month, costs of shipping, manufacturing - that's a _really _big deal. That can help civilian groups, recovery efforts, development projects, theoretical weapons and engineering – and that's just the beginning, Captain. Currently there's not really anyone in the military who's role it is to just monitor efficiencies, which is a real shame because with how bad off humanity is, we simply can't afford to be wasteful with _anything_ and if we did employ a group who could look at generic resourcefulness, even if it was just specific to the military then-"

At her suddenly passionate speech, after realizing her words had run off with her entirely, Petra fell silent, and she almost felt guilty when there was a wistful, pained sort of smile on the Captain's face as he watched her blather on as though she were the perfect protégé of Hanji herself.

"You've grown a lot, Petra. You should be proud."

"But therein lies the problem Captain, and why I don't have an answer to your question right now. For one, _you_ of all people know if I'm up for a promotion or not, so that's _all_ on you – but if you are meaning to ask if that's what I'm _hoping_ for…" she sighed and shook her head, "I really don't know. Erwin and Hanji seem optimistic about my natural talent, but at the end of the day I don't _know_ if I want to be in such a high-pressure position. The mental burden is significant, just like you said it would be, and be it laziness, or fear, or some form of ignorant bliss, but I'm not fully convinced that I want to put myself in the position where I have perpetual blood on my hands, for the rest of my life."

Levi nodded at her words, perhaps somewhat relieved to hear that with her newly gained experience, it was allowing her to make a much more _educated_ decision regarding her future in the Scout Regiment, and she continued, "And then there's the obvious problem that if I did promote to some other position, well…I wouldn't be on your squad anymore, Levi. Come the time we'd go on Expeditions, I'd be kept off the front lines and my role would be more for surveying and gathering data than actually fighting the Titan's head on, so my contribution to the battlefield would be minimal at best and that legitimately bothers me that I'd be in a role of support, rather than the_ actual_ battlefield."

Again Levi nodded, shifting his position on the bed and rolling his shoulder then neck as he responded flatly, "Well sure, but is that really so terrible? It's not like your contributions to the war would _cease_, your major source of impact to the military would stem from your mind, through ideas and data, much like it does now, rather than your mere blades alone – and if you don't think your data can do damage, well, I don't have to tell _you_ of all people what the numbers show. You can be an incredible asset, even from behind a desk. Erwin and Hanji are _both_ strong examples of that very thing."

When Petra gave a distasteful sort of frown, Levi intentionally made a point of grabbing her direct eye contact so she knew the seriousness that he spoke with, "Listen. All I'm saying is that no one wants to die in the mouth of a Titan Petra, not even me, and this would be a great way to mitigate a large portion of that risk. It's _not_ cowardly, it's just a matter of asking yourself what sort of role you want to play, and depending on your values, where you'll be most effective if it's actually the tides of war you're interested in and wondering how to make the biggest splash with your influence. You're a skilled warrior Petra, you wouldn't be on my squad if you weren't, but don't forget that your mental capabilities are unique and rare. They shouldn't be discredited just because they aren't as flashy."

Levi took a breath and nodded toward her, "Either way, I'd give the matter some serious thought Petra. Not that I've heard anything or that I'm trying to drop hints, because I_ legitimately _don't know what Erwin nor the government is thinking – there's a lot more that goes into position and rank than my two cents alone - but this project is big. I don't even think you realize _how_ big just yet, and I'm telling you now that you_ need_ to be ready to defend whatever position you want to have in the military, should someone try to push you into a role you aren't interested in or ready for. Last time you were unaware and naïve, Erwin took advantage of that and manipulated you with little difficulty. Don't make the mistake of thinking that there aren't others who would do the same, and with much less noble intentions. The military is _full_ of shady, glory seeking fucks."

As Petra watched him as he tried to coach her, she gave a nod to confirm that she _was_ in fact listening, but she couldn't help when a sort of frown pulled at her lips, because as he spoke, again he was moving his shoulder – the same one he had been fidgeting with throughout their entire conversation, and Petra found herself frowning as she looked at him suspiciously.

"Right Captain. And I'm sorry but…_what_ did you do to your shoulder?"

"You need to be ready for-" he paused as though only now registering her question, and he shrugged, "What? Oh, nothing. It's fine. Now I know you're stubborn Petra, but if there's _ever_ a time that-"

"You did _something_ to it alright," she insisted with a sudden note of certainty to her tone as she focused on his shoulder in continued distraction, "You keep messing with it because you're clearly uncomfortable, and if you try to pass it off as nothing when I know it's something, you're just going to upset me! _What_ did you do?"

Levi pressed his lips together and exhaled tensely through his nose, "I told you that I've been working hard at training. It's just a little stiff right now, that's all."

Petra watched him with a quirked eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. When Levi watched her in challenge, as though still unwilling to come clean about whatever it was that was so clearly bothering him, Petra clicked her tongue.

"Very well, Captain." She rose up from her chair and pushed off his dresser as though planning to cross the room without her crutches, and Levi was already up on his feet, moving toward her with an irritated glare of his own.

As she took a sort of hop forward, Levi was already standing right in front of her, hands over her hips as he held her forcefully in place. His voice was a demanding sort of grumble, "Petra, for Maria's sake, _what_ did the doctor tell you about-"

As he spoke, Petra ignored him completely; her eyes narrowed critically as though confronted with some puzzle or task, and after a moment of thought, she slowly brought her hand up to his shoulder, from behind his back where he wouldn't see her intended trajectory and quickly pressed her fingertips right above his shoulder blade with an intentional, pressing jab. Whatever Levi was in the middle of saying stopped outright, because he flinched with a sharp inhale, and Petra's expression morphed into a sort of smug stare, and she smirked at him proudly.

"So nothing, huh Captain? Right, I highly doubt that just a little bit of soreness would have made Humanity's Strongest flinch like that. Come on, sit down and let me have a look at it."

Levi gave her a flat, hesitant stare, and Petra smiled warmly as she nodded toward the bed, "Really Captain, just trust me."

…

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End of Chapter

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…

Alright, that will have to do for this week.

Definitely some important dialogue in this chapter, but man, my tender little heart just loves the 'slower' chapters like this where they just get to sit down and legitimately talk. They've certainly gotten better about it over the months, and it's nice to see that unlike how it would have been in years past, I feel the need to point out that in my opinion, our quiet and reserved _Levi_ is the one that lead most of this conversation, because he's comfortable enough to do so with her.

Remember, in previous chapters how Levi mentally narrates that when they 'talk' – Petra could talk for hours on end with just single nods and confirmations from him? *pleased sigh* I probably shouldn't point those things out because as said, I like to leave those conclusions up to the reader and those who are a bit more squinty when they read in the event they are looking for those smaller details but…haha, I guess I'm just in a pretty good mood perhaps.

Yall, for real, stay safe in the weeks to come, and stay smart. Still a lot of unknowns, but I'll still be here for yall week to week, and we'll all get through it together one step at a time.

See you next week!

~Mid


	53. The One Where it is his Shoulder

So yall, things are locking down where I am. We've received a stay at home order for the next 30 days, although as yall know, things aren't changing too much for me as I still have to go to work in office (Essential employee) so it hopefully just means less traffic in the mornings. I don't want yall to worry; I'm good, and I'll keep posting content for ya just as long as I'm able.

I know these are tough times everyone, but humans are crazy intuitive, scrappy and super clutch, so thank those who are getting creative to still their part to support their friends and neighbors. It's been crazy to see, in the best of ways, so plus one to humanity on this COVID battle. Nice job!

Now, it looks like I've picked up a few newish readers over these past few weeks, so I want to give a formal hello and say thanks for stopping in and supporting the cause. I update each Sunday morning, I like to chat far too much, and if you can't tell by this 50+ chapter story, dear lord I'm a long-winded queen and I don't pull my punches. I'm still writing up new material on a perpetual basis and as we speak, I've got a little over 70 chapters written and edited. Dear Lord guys, on my end I am getting close to writing out the very last plot arc (gasp!) and it's messing me up, for real. I don't want it to end, but it's getting there and it's sooo surreal!

Until then guys, one week at a time.

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...

Petra tapped his back with a featherlight press and looked up at him with a gentle expression, "Levi, come on. I don't bite, just let me take a look at it, okay?"

He stared at her longer still in reluctance, and when Petra merely returned his gaze with a knowing expression, because they both knew she would win out in the end, he gave an accepting sigh and moved both himself and her to the edge of the bed as he gave a sort of long suffering sigh and sat down without further resistance.

Her previous smile only grew all the more at his sullen, suspicious stare, and she rolled her eyes because considering he could easily outpower her at any given time, let alone when she couldn't so much as walk on her own, his unease was just silly. Petra lightly grabbed his opposite arm that didn't seem to be as irritated, speaking as she did so, "Here, will you turn your back toward me, Captain? I may not look it, but I happen to know a thing or two about back and shoulder injuries. Don't worry, I wouldn't risk your health by doing something that I'm uncertain about – just trust me."

Without comment, Levi adjusted his position and couldn't help the sudden tenseness he felt in his now coiled muscles, being reminded that relationship or not, old habits die hard. Even though he trusted Petra immensely, there was still something about her being behind him at a time where he was admittedly tired and worn down, weakened and in some degree of pain, and he wasn't _entirely_ surprised when he actually flinched at her touch as her hands fell onto his injured shoulder. Rather than being offended, there was a sudden laugh from behind him.

"Geez, touchy much? I told you, Captain, it will be fine; I know what I'm doing here, so just try to relax okay?" She brought her hands up over both his shoulders, her fingers kneading into his back in a sort of tactile approach; searching for whatever sort of damage he may have done to himself and starting by feeling out how the one side of his back felt in comparison to the other, searching for any anomalies that may give her some sort of insight to whatever was causing him such obvious discomfort. Her touch was light, but intentional and focused with a manner that spoke of experience, and from the other side, Levi's face had contorted into a sort of frown as she drove her fingers into his sensitive muscles, though he said nothing and endured her actions without complaint with the pride and discipline that was expected of a soldier.

Her voice was pleasant and unhurried, as though she really _had_ done this a hundred times, and she spoke in a casual exhale, "You see my dad, he's a carpenter. You knew that, right? It was just him and me growing up, and the doctor's house was a good hour away. As you can imagine, I got pretty good about putting in stitches, working out knots, keeping swelling down - all sorts of first aid if you can believe it. Basic stuff granted, nothing too miraculous. Either way, Dad had a special knack for injuring his right shoulder in particular, so I'd like to think that I've seen it all. He damaged it once pretty good, dislocated it before I was born or something like that, and it never quite healed right. Growing up, it seemed I was always fixing up _something_ every few months because it would pop out of place, he'd over strain his muscles, pull a joint, that sort of thing."

Petra leaned in closer toward him as she worked, her eyes narrowing as she felt a tenseness near his shoulder blade that felt significantly more taut than it's mirroring counterpart, and she used the adjusted angle on the bed to run her fingers over the edge of his shoulder blade with a bit more force, moving her fingers slowly and precisely across the ridge of the bone, and finally Levi gave a quiet, but unmistakably pained grunt. Petra nodded in satisfaction and released the pressure in her actions, her palms now resting lightly across his back, having finally found the source of his injury.

She gave an exhale through her nose and nodded, sitting back at her findings as she spoke and taking a breath, "Thought so. Tight wasn't actually the worst word to have used here, Captain; you've really aggravated your muscles here and your shoulder is locking up as a result, trying to protect itself from further injury. It's a mix of being sprained and just plain and simple overworked, like you said. I'm not a doctor, so I can't tell you if it's a ligament or tendon or whatever, but whatever you did here, it's really swollen."

She leaned to one side so she could meet his eye contact directly, and she watched him with a serious expression because it wasn't that she was angry with him, but even still…damn, he should have just said something earlier. "Captain, I really wish you would have said something back at the meeting. We could have readjusted your training over the next few days to accommodate you a bit more intentionally, but it's a little late now so we'll just have to make it work for at least tomorrow morning because the schedule's already been set and twenty minutes just isn't enough time to rework it all."

Levi negated to respond, and Petra sat back into her heels, looking back toward his injured shoulder and shaking her head as she ran the options through her mind purposefully, "Still though, I'll talk to Erwin tomorrow and we'll see if we can't have something a bit more tailored to you organized and implemented by lunch time. You'll be able to keep training of course; we'll just use rotations that make use of your lower body more than your upper body to give your shoulder a bit of a break. For the teams that need that focus on upper body specifically, we'll have them use Mike or Eld as their point of contact – at least for the next few days, until we can get the inflammation under control."

Hearing her instant, and rather simple, solution to the problem, Levi could only give a silent nod of gratitude, never having even thought to tell them about his shoulder because he didn't see it as an actual problem, but he supposed if there was such an easy fix, he would take it gladly. Satisfied by her solution it seemed, Petra's hands were back over his shoulder blade, moving with a renewed and laser force that caused a pained frown to return to his face, and Petra spoke with a tense voice that reflected the sudden effort she was putting into the task as she drove her fingers into his back intentionally, "I can take some of the pressure off, help with the swelling a bit, but-" she gave a sort of grunt and continued, "Damn Levi, this is_ bad. _You're lucky you didn't pull something! For real, you'll need to take it easy over the next few days or it _will_ keep giving you problems that will just get worse and worse until something _does_ tear. You should plan to ice it tonight as well, take some aspirin, that sort of thing. I'll make a note to check on it in a few days, and if it doesn't get better, we'll figure out something long term at that point. We can't afford you to actually fall victim to a true and significant injury right now, and I trust that you'll listen to your body and take it easy before it ever comes to that."

Levi gave a low sort of grumble at her speech that seemed to outright baby him, but none the less seemed to accept her words. Petra continued running her hands over the section that was giving him frequent problems, but as she tried to locate more of the source of the swelling and focus her effort there, she found the silky fabric of his shirt kept interfering or wrinkling in her hands, and she gave another exhale in admitted frustration.

"Hey Captain, your shirt. It's kind of getting in the way here. Do you mind?" she pulled at the fabric with an irritated huff, and Levi gave a slight stare over his shoulder. Though his expression was blank, there was a certain degree of smugness to his tone, knowing that Petra was asking him to remove it for her.

"No, I don't mind. Do _you_?"

The ginger rolled her eyes at his subtle teasing and snorted, "Alright Captain, go on and get your jabs in. I _wasn't_ going for that, but for your information I happen to have just a little more self-control than that. Granted no thanks to being on that medicine, I don't think you'll ever believe me – but let the record show that it's nearing six years on your squad where, you know, aside from the whole marriage thing, I've been the very picture of professionalism. I think I can handle seeing you without a shirt, so don't flatter yourself."

Levi gave a slight chuckle as he began unbuttoning his dress shirt, giving a tempered exhale as he removed the fabric from off his tense and aching shoulder, the rotating action only igniting a sort of fire deep within the joint. Without further comment, he set the shirt neatly beside him and Petra picked right back where she had left off, only this time able to be all the more precise now that his shirt was not hindering her efforts.

Levi gave a sort of hiss as her fingers drove into his back with a heightened force, and he couldn't help the sort of grimace that left him because it had admittedly hurt before, but now that his shoulder was being intentionally singled out with skin to skin contact, it was extremely painful.

"That bad huh?" Petra mumbled sympathetically as she could feel his muscles press and coil tightly against her in defiance, and she used her other hand to, more gently, run up his skin because he needed to relax, "Sorry. Just try to sit through it as best you can. I can work out some of the irritation here and you'll feel a lot better for it, but still, I know full well it's not exactly the most comfortable thing to endure. Dad always said I had no compassion."

Again a silence fell over the room, and Petra focused on her self-appointed task, testing how much she had accomplished by again feeling his other shoulder, over the planes of his arm, down the side of his neck, around the back of his shoulder blade and the muscles that framed his back, and she suddenly gave a chuckle as her thoughts began to wander, "I was actually thinking about this before you came in, but even more so now. This all reminds me, you know, of when you were sick?"

He gave a groan, and Petra couldn't help the warm smile that now decorated her lips, "That was a while ago now, and I don't think I've actually been to your room since, not even once. Somehow, it's all a bit nostalgic for me, being back here like this, with yet another ailment I'm tending to. A lot has changed since then, Captain, wouldn't you say?"

There was a low, but hesitant 'Yeah.' from her Captain, and Petra sighed at the realization of just how much had changed in such a short time. She had him move his arm up behind his back, highlighting a new series of muscles previously hidden underneath his shoulder blade, and she set to work, speaking with a warm smile, "Honestly Levi, we were friends, even back then, right? I mean, _I_ would have considered you a friend for sure but now…it's a bit more difficult for me to label."

Petra gave a small smile and shrugged in admission, "At this point, well…you're probably my best friend. I mean, I still love the guys, and Eld and I will always be close but…" She stuck her head to the side so she could look at him more directly, and she gave him a bright smile, "Oi Levi, maybe I should make little friendship bracelets or something - you know, as a sign of our upgraded friendship status. What do you think? One could say 'Best' and the other could say 'Friends' or 'Buddies' or whatever? It would be super cute!"

The Captain snorted and rolled his eyes, "Fuck no. Besides, I thought that was the point of wearing this _wedding_ band. Everyone already knows that I'm yours woman, and I don't think some fragile bracelet is going to drive that point home anymore than this already does."

Petra didn't respond to his words, to the extent that Levi mentally winced because damn, he had probably hurt her feelings by rejecting her offer of a shitty friendship bracelet or whatever. He _should _have just accepted it because it really didn't matter to him if he had some braided, ridiculous bracelet across his wrist, if it somehow made her happy at such a weird time where they never got to see each other.

Levi turned over his shoulder, opening his mouth to tell her that if it really meant that much to her then he didn't care all that much, so long as she knew that with all his training demands it would probably fall off into the forest and there wasn't much to do about it, but as he turned around, he noticed that Petra had fallen silent_ not_ from having her feelings hurt like he had suspected, but rather because…she was blushing, to the extreme.

Levi blinked in surprise and he watched her with a growing mix of confusion and sheer amusement as her blush only deepened now that he was witnessing her dramatic reaction, and he motioned toward her with a nod of his head, "What the hell, Petra? What did I say?"

She gave a dramatic shake of her head, refusing to look at him as she spoke in embarrassed alarm, "It's uh, nothing Captain! Nothing! I uh, look, you're distracting me and I'm really trying to fix your shoulder so if you could just-"

He quirked a single eyebrow, "Wait, are you _distracted _by me? Where's that professionalism you claimed to have?" His expression fell and he watched her with a fake stare of accusation, "Do I have to put my shirt back on for you to take this seriously?"

"No, keep it off! I just…" she stammered out in flustered protest, and as she looked into the bed, she gave a shy smile and pressed her lips together lightly, "Sometimes you surprise me Captain, that's all. And that's _all _I'm going to say about it, so turn your smug-ass self around and let me get back to work."

Levi gave a final pleased grin and faced back toward the wall. It was as Petra watched him fondly, watched him turn around with that fitting smirk across his face, that she shook her head and almost chuckled.

Levi – Humanity's Strongest – had said in such a casual, simple manner that he was…_hers._

Even out of context, Petra decided that that was something she could certainly get used to hearing more often, and the red hue returned to her face for a second time.

She shook the matter out of her head and again leaned forward with a forced exhale of renewed focus, building up her pressure bit by bit, eventually using her body weight as she moved up onto her legs to help force circulation back into his muscles that were tight and coiled from the beginnings of a more serious injury. For a long while, there was no conversation exchanged as she continued to work the prominent knots out, digging her palm or fingers into his skin until the swelling began to weaken and his shoulder began to feel more similar to its non-injured counterpart. Levi would grunt, press his back into her hands to help build the pressure, tell her a little to the left or right if he felt that she was missing the injury's focal point, until it became gradually more difficult to locate – until the pain was less present and harder to centralize in his mind because the pain was undoubtedly being dispelled bit by bit the longer she worked.

As Petra sat back with a relieved sigh, because she could also tell that his back was finally loosening to the extent that his shoulder was less strained and taut, she found her hands moving with less purpose, still massaging the skin and running her fingers over his aching muscles in a way that was less therapeutic, and simply meant to help him relax and unwind after weeks of constant demands and never ending deadlines. While Levi was aware of this shift outright, could tell the clear difference between what was once done out of necessity, versus her actions now that were more gentle, soothing, and admittedly rather intimate, he found himself subtly leaning back toward her, ever so slightly, and allowing Petra to touch his skin and run her hands over his side and neck; rubbing and massaging his tense muscles in a way that admittedly felt quite nice.

He gave a loud sigh as she leaned up against him for a better angle and lightly ran her index fingers from the hollow of his throat, all the way up the length of his neck to the dip just below his ears – and Levi almost closed his eyes and sighed again as he fell back into her a little more. With her closeness, combined with the hectic and demanding few weeks that had undoubtedly ran him ragged, he could feel the stress leaving his body little by little as Petra continued to gift him with her touch, time, and attention.

It had been so long since he had spent time with her, so long since it had been just the two of them alone like this, and as she reached a hand between them and rubbed his back in gentle circles, speaking random bits of this or that, she eventually asked in a quiet whisper if what she was doing was actually okay with him and she wasn't making him uncomfortable, right? Levi responded with a simple shake of his head, unable to find the actual words to properly respond, because to say he _never _wanted her to stop would just sound_ too _intense, where it would ruin the calm they had fallen into, he was sure of it.

And yet.

That was just how he felt. In that moment, Levi was certain that he never wanted her to stop; that he never wanted her to leave his room and that he could very well have her sit beside him like this until the very end. He knew full well that when she stopped, that meant their time would be up. The morning would come too soon, and he'd be back shouting commands, teaching cadets and living life as though he _didn't_ have an extremely kind, understanding, intelligent, and _attractive_ wife, a mere hallway away from him.

And so, Petra continued, and it was only when his head fell forward and he jolted to life with a sort of blink, that Levi realized he had almost fallen asleep. It had taken him by surprise, and Petra had given a small laugh of her own, "Oh, so that good huh? Perhaps I'm in the wrong line of work after all!"

Petra had asked him to lay out on his bed, out onto his stomach, because if she was _going_ to give him a back rub like this, she may as well do it right. He didn't complain and had laid out across his bed, and they spent what felt like a timeless eternity together, sometimes conversing back and forth about the military or upcoming deadlines and meetings, other times about more personal matters, and eventually…nothing at all.

Petra's massage had eventually weakened as time went by, until she was simply tracing her fingers, light as a feather, up and down his back – a sensation that was surprisingly pleasant for how simple it was, and it made his mind cloud over because it was just far too relaxing during a time where he was utterly exhausted. He _knew_ he was falling asleep; he knew that all it would take was a simple change of position to wake him back up, perhaps moving so he was resting up on his back, perhaps moving to his side, sitting up and talking with her, but by the time he felt the need to do so, apparently he had missed his chance because he jolted awake in surprise at having_ actually _fallen asleep at all.

He had opened his eyes in surprise, blinking in wonder and hoping that he hadn't missed whatever conversation Petra was probably trying to have with him even now, but as he pulled his head up from the pillows, he noticed first and foremost that the room was apparently _dark_; seemingly devoid of life and completely still.

Where was Petra?

He looked across his room in half awake concern, seeing nothing but empty space, and he gave a weary groan, because he hadn't meant to outright crash like that.

Had Petra… left then? She must have.

Levi sat up slightly as awareness slowly came back to his mind, and he sat up and on the edge of the bed, rubbing his head and giving a slight exhale as he blinked yet again. What time was it? He looked around his dark room, only surprising himself all the more upon realizing that it was apparently a little after three thirty in the morning. It seemed that he hadn't just casually nodded off for a moment or two like he had previously thought – he had been _out _out, for hours – almost the entire night_. _

Levi rolled his neck, wondering absently if he would even be _able _to fall back asleep or not, because truth be told, he felt damn well rested – the most rested he had felt in over a month now. The dull ache that had been in his back was gone completely, and the sharp throbbing that had once been all consuming in his shoulder blade was now nothing more than a minor discomfort at best. True to her words, it seemed Petra _had_ known what she was doing, because he couldn't deny the results, and Levi rolled his shoulder a few times, amazed when the action didn't come partnered with immediate pangs and tenseness. It had taken a few hours, but his shoulder felt the best that it had in almost two weeks and he had her to thank for it.

Levi almost sat up from the bed, thinking about grabbing a drink of water from the kitchen when a soft, feminine sort of sigh suddenly caught his attention, the sound coming from behind him on the opposite side of his bed. As Levi turned over his shoulder to see the source of the noise, he was surprised to see Petra's form, laying out across his bed and close to the wall. He inwardly marveled for a moment how it was even possible that he hadn't noticed her right off the bat, but with how she was pressed up against the wall, as though trying to not bother him and take up as little space as possible, he supposed it was no wonder, because she really was rather small when she wanted to be.

Still, what caught him by surprise more than that though, was the fact she was there at all. He found himself staring at her sleeping form for a long moment, wondering if something really _was_ wrong that she had wanted to talk to him about, or maybe something she wanted him around for, because it wasn't like her to do something so…he struggled to find the right mental word.

Was it scandalous, perhaps? No, they were married so by all accounts she was_ welcome_ to his bed if that's where she wanted to be, but even still, Petra had always_ asked_ him what his comfort level was and never just _assumed_ with him – something he appreciated greatly because there were things he was admittedly particular about. Even earlier today, she wouldn't so much as _touch_ him without his express permission, and so for Petra to just mosey into his bed without so much as a moment of hesitation…

The normal Petra would have just left of her own accord. He knew that she felt guilty for being involved, if not_ directly _responsible, for how overworked he was, and he knew she would have never found it in her heart to actually wake him up after such an exhausting line up of responsibilities. Still though, it wasn't like there was anything preventing her from just getting up, moving to the door and –

Levi's eyes widened and he pressed his lips together in attempts to keep himself from groaning, instantly realizing his mistake and remembering that he had intentionally moved her crutches to the opposite side of the room, intentionally making it so she _couldn't _leave without his say so.

Levi looked toward Petra in sudden understanding and shook his head, feeling somewhat guilty as he looked her form over and realizing that she had been forced to go to bed in the same clothes she had worn throughout the day – which didn't look to be all that comfortable.

It certainly wasn't on purpose. At the time, it had been just a sort of teasing, an insurance policy that would all but guarantee that whatever conversation they fell into, if they bickered or teased each other, he would have the last laugh because he was the only one capable of returning her crutches to her and allowing her access to her mobility again, but then she had started rubbing his back, he was just so damn comfortable around her, and like that, he had fallen asleep completely.

With a half-smile, Levi shook his head in amusement and turned more fully to look toward his sleeping, tender hearted wife that was too damn selfless for her own good. She_ could_ have woken him up, that wouldn't have bothered him in the slightest, and reminded him that she needed her crutches so she could get back to her room and get to bed, and yet, of course she just hadn't been able to. Fuck, he would have killed to see the look on her face when she realized that he was officially asleep; watch as indecision plagued her as she decided how to handle the situation and if she should just wake him up or not.

The fact she was pressed up against the wall like that, as though trying to be as utterly small and non-imposing as possible, suddenly made even more sense, and Levi held back a chuckle because it was an amusing concept.

He laid down onto his side across the bed, moving closer toward Petra and allowing himself to nuzzle against her, running his nose into her hair as his hands pulled around her small frame, pulling her away from the wall and up against him instead. At the movement, there was a breath of surprise and Petra stiffened slightly, tensing for a moment as she woke up in complete confusion.

"Mhn? Levi – uh, Cap'n?" she blinked, and suddenly bit her lower lip as she groaned outright, her words slightly slurred from clear exhaustion and she shook her head in an uncoordinated fashion, "I'm so sorry, I know I shouldn't be here b'you were asleep n'you've been so tired so you need t'sleep. Dn'worry I'll go now, m'kay? I just-"

"Shh." he continued turning her until she was on her opposite side, facing him, and he shook his head once, "Petra, it's almost four. No point in you heading back to your room now; it's fine. Just fall back asleep, okay?"

"Four in t'morning?" she repeated with a questioning look, being so exhausted that he was certain she didn't completely understand his words, and Levi gave a simple nod.

"Sleep, Petra."

She gave a barely coherent, obedient nod and allowed her head to fall back onto his pillow. It was only as he was holding her against him, as though second nature, that he realized he was holding her against his bare chest, and he frowned because he supposed that wasn't something to just force on her, innocent or otherwise.

He gave her a gentle shake, nodding between them once he caught her half open, veridian orbs, "Petra, is this…okay? I can grab a-"

She cut him off with a yawn and shook her head once, her cheek suddenly pressing into his chest as she repositioned off the pillow and rather onto him absentmindedly, curling her body around him as she spoke, "Levi, stay…with me. I love being close t'you…like this."

Levi had heard her words, his mind running wild as he wondered if there was a dual meaning to what she had said, debate if her words were meant to be taken at face value or if in her sleep deprived state she was speaking what was on her heart now that her mental defenses had perhaps fallen a bit lax, and Levi looked at Petra with wide, questioning eyes.

What…what did _that_ mean?

Of course, she was already asleep.

…

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End of Chapter

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…

And that will do for this week!

Interesting trivia here for yall, but on my word doc, the file that I write on got so large that when I tried to write out new material, it stopped loading properly and so I had to start a new document and call it Homeward Bound part two. This chapter here marks the end of what I called the first half (don't worry, we are definitely more than halfway done haha) and all the new material is written on a separate document from here on out.

Like I said above, I'm writing out the second to last arc right now, gearing up to write the final arc of the story and guys, I literally cannot believe it. I think for me, maybe another 10-15 chapters need to be written out, and really…that's not a lot left. So yall keep being awesome, and say a prayer for me because I have been writing this story now for so long that it is going to be SO weird to move onto my next project and put this piece to rest.

(Silently kicks secret project aside that may or may not already be in the works)

But! As for where we are HERE – well, we've got a long way to go!


	54. The One with the Bribery

Morning everyone and happy Sunday!

Gosh yall, what a week it has been, right? Yall have been so sweet, and yeah, I'm doing alright. While I am an essential employee, I am officially joining the band of people who get to work from home, so while that adds new challenges to my day to be sure – my exposure to the elements is greatly limited as my husband works from home as well now.

Anyhow, onto the chapter!

…

* * *

…

"So Petra, your cast comes off tomorrow, right?"

Petra nodded toward the Commander with a smile, looking toward Levi in excitement as she responded, "Yeah. Hard to believe it's been six weeks already. I had another follow-up appointment last week and the doctor said everything was progressing and healing properly. I can walk without crutches now, my rib is solidly back in place, my left side still has a few minor scratches left, but all in all I'm in good shape and ready to go!"

Erwin smiled all the more at her obvious enthusiasm, "That's excellent news. I called you both in here because I've got a few things to go over, and I figured that in light of tomorrow, this would be the best time." Erwin wore a suddenly serious expression and shifted some papers across his desk in preparation, "We'll go ahead and start with the most recent results of the training. It's been a full two weeks since the training has been completely rolled out to the entire Scout regiment, and now that we've addressed the outliers, the numbers have started to stabilize. We are seeing a consistent fourteen percent decrease across the entire regiment as a whole. On that note, the Royal Government has since received the deck comprised of all the data and, not surprisingly, has taken a rather vested interest in it. I should make you aware that I gave you full credit for the idea, as well as the methodology regarding how each team was to be coached. Needless to say, they are beyond impressed because such a development saves funding, manpower, natural resources; everything."

At Erwin's summary and confirmation that he had taken very little, if _any _of the credit for the major changes that had been taking place in the Scouts over the past month and a half, Petra found herself shaking her head quickly, a sort of nervousness building within her because she hadn't been after any attention and the fact that Erwin had put the project under her name alone was unexpected. "Commander, it wasn't just me – we all played our part and-"

Hearing her scramble to take some of the spotlight off herself, watching her blush and suddenly avoid his gaze so expertly, Erwin chuckled at her gentle nature, "There is no need to be modest, Petra. Considering I'm the one who challenged you in the first place, I know full well where the credit is due. The idea was yours from the start, and how the data was to be used and implemented, also stemmed from your brain. Yes, Hanji, myself, Mike, and Squad Levi notably played a large role in the implementation process, but you cannot state that the results would have ever come to fruition if it hadn't been for yourself."

Petra gave an uncertain shrug, still unconvinced, and as Erwin watched her in further amusement and looked toward Levi who appeared equally as amused by her response, the Commander took a breath and nodded back toward the ginger factually, "I know that your working side by side with me is still a relatively new experience for you, but something you should know about me; I have no interest in taking credit for the accomplishments of my men. You did well Petra, and no one from leadership intends to use your success to their advantage – at least in a way that puts _them_ in the spotlight instead of you. Naturally, many people are benefiting from your work, the government is pleased with the Scouts as a whole – something I will shamelessly leverage when the time is right – _but_…in the meantime."

The Commander watched as a stubborn and soured frown came over her face, and Erwin studied her for a long moment before speaking, admittedly surprised because the longer she seemed to dwell on his words, the more uncomfortable she became. He folded his hands across the desk and watched her pointedly, "Mrs. Ackerman…you seem,_ increasingly_ uncomfortable by this, which I certainly didn't expect. This _is_ a good thing – the government is highly impressed by you, as for the Scout Regiment, the troops are more prepared than ever for the next expedition, your skillset has undeniably grown, this will open up a lot of avenues for career growth in the future… Care to explain your ill ease?"

Petra gave a hesitant sigh at his question and looked over toward Levi, then the Commander nervously as she tried to explain her suddenly unsorted thoughts, "Well, Levi told me before all of this, and_ during _this project no less, that I really needed to be a bit more intentional with things like this because it would cause changes and get my name out there to some extent. It's not that I am afraid of the acknowledgement in the here and now per say; I'm more so just afraid of what comes next. I've been so busy that I really haven't had time to sit down and think about what I want, and now knowing that the Government has gotten ahold of the results where my name is out on the front lines it just…makes me anxious I guess, because I feel they are one step ahead of me now. Captain said that I needed to be ready and…I'm just…not."

Erwin looked back toward Levi for only a moment, and then nodded factually, "Ah. That I can understand. He's a wise man Petra, with experience and knowledge that you'd be foolish to not take advantage of. Luckily, you do have myself, Hanji, as well as your Captain, where we each have our own vested interest in your skillset, and you as a person, and comrade. Granted, we are notably biased and will want to use any of your future talents for ourselves, but I hope that you can trust that we'll give you solid advice that will steer you away from making any regrettable judgement calls."

Petra gave a quiet, accepting nod, and Erwin spoke casually regarding the next item of business, "The Government asked for permission to forward this material to the other factions, considering it is presently Scout exclusive material that we have sole rights to. I presume you don't mind that I granted them each access for implementation as well; after all, the Scouts need all the allies we can get and this is a great way to build those bonds and wager future deals between the factions. Seems the material was sent over last week, with the same caveat that it all stems from a certain Petra Ackerman of the Scout Regiment."

Petra rolled her eyes at the comment, feeling that the branding was now just overkill, and Erwin found himself smirking, because if she thought_ that_ was a bit much, she was in for quite a surprise. He watched her in anticipation, "And on that note, we get into the meat of the conversation matter, because it seems the bribery has officially begun."

…Bribery?

Petra gave him a look of concern, and there was a sort of grunt from Levi, who seemed less than thrilled at Erwin's announcement, because he himself had been on the receiving end of the different faction's bribery on more than one occasion, and it irritated him endlessly to watch the military just throw their resources around as though people's loyalty could be outright bought. He supposed the perks and lavish gifts were nice enough, but still, it felt like poor stewardship of their scarce resources. Regardless his distaste, Levi never_ could_ quite find it in himself to reject their offerings of specialized, rare tea leaves, and no thanks to that, Levi was certain that he had enough tea to last him a decade, even if it had cost him some considerable time training miserable glory-seeking up and comers.

All in all, perhaps bribery _did_ have a place in the military – the ugly politics that ran deals and forced stubborn agreements behind the scenes – and Levi tried to turn a blind eye more often than not and just stick to his lane.

There was an undeniable smirk on the Commander's face, and he shook his head as he grabbed an envelope from off his desk and unfolded a piece of paper from inside it, "It seems that as a thank you for your hard work and _visionary_ tactics," Erwin glanced over the edge of the page toward Petra in obvious amusement, "And in _no way_ related to any future career advancement because bribery is_ illegal_ on that front-" Again Levi scoffed from the side of the room, and Erwin looked back into the paper and continued undaunted, "the Garrison heard about your accident, and as a thank you for your 'Revolutionary material in such a difficult time', they hereby issue you a check to cover any expenses occurred during your past six weeks, considering that you've been statused as being on leave. Looking at the amount, it seems they've thrown in quite a hefty bonus as well, and I'd wager that wasn't an oversight. I didn't think you'd mind too much, so I didn't correct the back office when they asked about it."

Erwin handed the envelope toward her, and Petra seemed to stall in place hesitantly, looking first at Levi who merely motioned toward the item with a tilt of his head, and with a sigh, Petra bit her lip nervously and grabbed the envelope from the Commander, "They also wrote that if you ever need anything, be it personal effects or some luxury trinket as some sort of favor, to let them know as they'd be more than happy to work something out in the future. I'll give you the fair warning on that front, in case you can't tell that's a solid offer, but know that it _would_ come with strings attached - often negotiable from both sides at the time of the offer, so it's not nearly as shady as it sounds in summation. Just keep it in mind for the future, because it's a resource you may find yourself needing to leverage one day."

Petra nodded at his advice and gave an overwhelmed sigh as she tried to mentally process it all, "Wow. Apparently I have friends at the Garrison now. I kinda feel weird. This is…crazy." She looked at the included check curiously, double taking at the amount and mouthing a silent 'Wow' to herself, because the amount was substantial – almost _doubling _what her pay would have been, had she actually been receiving her normal paychecks for being on active duty.

Well, that _was_ some bonus. No wonder questions had been raised.

Erwin chuckled at her reaction and grabbed yet another envelope, and Petra's mouth fell open in amazement, "No. There's _more?_ Are you serious?"

Erwin merely gave a laugh at her animated response and nodded, "Well of course. The Military Police isn't one to be outdone, and after hearing about the Garrison's generosity, they – _also_ unrelated to your future in the military mind you – wanted to issue their thanks as well. As a token of their appreciation for providing them with your training regimen, and in light of the fact that your leave has already been cared for in terms of compensation, they have reached out to me and have made arrangements to extend some… rather _generous_ time off, with pay no less. They are prepared to offer you a full four weeks, to be taken at your leisure between now and the next three months, if you're interested."

Erwin quirked a rather large eyebrow and almost leaned back into his chair with a smug grin, "Not bad, huh?"

From the side of the room, there was a snort.

"Four weeks? Where the fuck are _those _funds coming from?" Levi demanded lowly with a sort of huff, and Erwin rolled his eyes and turned toward the bitter Captain more directly.

"Levi, they're better funded than us. You _know _this. It's just a drop in the bucket for them."

"Shit, the MP's make me sick. You know if they _really_ wanted to help us out then-"

"They _don't _want to help us out, they want to help out_ Petra _and get in her good graces because we all know that the end of year reviews are coming up and she's got three and a half years left of her standing contract. That's tempting for_ any_ faction, and you know full well that-"

"_Of course_ I know; she's _my_ subordinate so if those MP's think they can fucking charm their way in and-"

Petra ignored Levi's continuous banter with the Commander and set the previous envelope inside of her jacket slowly, speaking in confusion over Levi's irritated words, because it was clear they could keep going for a while, and she was certain she had misheard the Commander. That, or perhaps it was also an offer with undisclosed strings attached? She cleared her throat and looked toward Levi with a quirked eyebrow, then directed her attention back toward Erwin more completely for some much-needed clarification

"Commander, you said paid time off, as in_ vacation_, sir? I suppose I'm flattered because I – wow, four weeks, that's something – but Erwin, I'm a little confused. Why within the next three months? Isn't that a bit obscure? Why does it even matter?"

Again Levi gave a scathing huff, rolling his eyes bitterly, and Petra would have outright laughed at his childish demeanor if it weren't for the fact she was legitimately curious, so her attentions were focused solely on the Commander for a response.

Erwin also gave a chuckle, and Petra became suspicious that the answer to her question must have been obvious, as both males were watching her with heavy stares. Erwin leaned over his desk and whispered in a teasing, no duh fashion, "Your review is coming up in three months, and the MP's are hoping you'll join their ranks."

Petra blinked, and Erwin sat back up with a mirthful smile and explained further because it seemed she_ really _didn't get it. "Petra, they don't want you starting out your theoretical role as an MP by taking four weeks of vacation right off the bat. In the event that you_ were _to change factions – a conversation we are_ not_ having right now – they would want to put your skills to immediate work, and that would be difficult if you were gone for a month and a half, for either faction. If I had to guess, the Garrison and Military Police collaborated with each other before sending either gift our way, for that very purpose. Drama aside, the factions actually work pretty decently together and are rather considerate about not stepping on each other's toes."

Erwin paused and stole a side glance toward Levi, a small smirk painting his lips as he spoke in after thought, "Ignore Levi, he's a pitiful example."

Petra outright laughed at Erwin's half joking words, and she sobered her expression and gave a thoughtful sigh, "I guess that makes sense, and all of this is really humbling but there's no way I can step out now and leave you guys in the weeds. I know the numbers have stabilized, but there's still so much work to do."

Erwin watched her with a knowing smile, because it was clear she was overwhelmed and trying to find a graceful way to back out, "You know, before you make any hasty calls here Petra, let me remind you of a few things." Erwin shifted in his chair and moved more papers around his desk, clearly looking for something specific as he spoke, "First thing: As for the Scouts, all the kinks have been worked out and it's just a matter of staying the course. We can _handle _four weeks on our own. Second thing: It's bad form to reject a gift. I know you're aware that Levi and the Military Police have something of a history, but _you_ don't, and there's no reason to embitter your standings with them because their resources are undeniable, and what's more, you've earned it."

Erwin grabbed a new manila folder and set it in front of himself, apparently having found what he needed, and he looked toward her seriously, "As it stands now, I've _already_ allowed you to work off the clock for six weeks while you should have been given time to rest and recover. Granted, I won't apologize because even if I could go back, I'd do it the exact same all over again, but I'm well aware that my actions have been less than noble and pushed you to the point of breaking in more ways than one. You've been gracious to us in a time where you had every right to take a step back from your duties, and as always, your dedication to the Scout Regiment is notable, noticed, and appreciated."

Petra shrugged, not certain how she was supposed to respond to his claims, because they both knew that even if Erwin_ had_ been resistant of her help, she would have undoubtedly fought him on it the whole way and weaseled her way into the project eventually.

Erwin's expression sobered, "Third thing, and possibly the most important: There's actually something else you need to be aware of Petra."

The Commander leaned forward in his chair, his hard-set expression showing that their conversation had shifted to something much more serious in nature, and Petra watched him curiously as he opened the folder with a collective exhale. He took a slow breath, and as though thinking his words over but seemingly at a loss, Erwin merely grabbed a small collection of envelopes from within the folder and handed them across his desk toward her with an expectant nod.

With a questioning glance, Petra reached forward and grabbed them from him, a silence falling over the room as she reviewed the small collection of extremely familiar envelopes, four in total, and she looked up toward Erwin with a shake of her head, because she knew exactly what they were, but as to why_ Erwin_ had them…

"Commander these are…my letters. I started writing my father again, maybe a few months ago?" She looked them over and looked back toward him in greater confusion, "Why weren't they delivered? I'm not seeing any return stamps or anything so, if they weren't _returned_ then-"

"I've been intercepting your mail, intentionally." Erwin finished for her in confirmation, and Petra looked up from the papers with a hesitant, concerned stare, not understanding what would have ever led to such a thing. She shook her head as she tried to find her words, looking back into her envelopes one more time and shaking her head in dismay, "Commander I don't…I'm sorry but I just don't understand."

Erwin nodded, grabbing the folder as a whole and handing it to her passively. Petra moved up from her chair and grabbed it from him with a perturbed expression, flipping through the pages in growing agitation as he explained himself further, "In that folder is a collection of all the correspondence we've received from your father throughout these past few months."

Petra's tone changed, from concern to sudden irritation, and she looked up from the contents of the folder in warning, "Wait, these are from my father? I haven't gotten anything from him since before the wedding – _you've_ been taking them? Commander, I'm…I'm sorry to speak out of turn, but you've got no right!"

Erwin simply nodded back toward the folder calmly and explained, "I'm sorry to tell you this Petra, but allow me to clarify. In terms of letters from your father to _you _specifically, we actually haven't received _anything_. He _hasn't_ been writing you. If you take a look at all the documentation we've received, all contained within that folder mind you, the addressee is to the Commander of the Scout Regiment – myself. At least on that front, there's been no foul play."

At his clarification, Petra felt a bitter taste in her mouth and she cleared her throat forcefully, "I see. Still though…why would my father write to you and…not me? He's said nothing to me, nothing at all, and it's been almost eight months since his last letter. I figured that if I wrote him consistently, four letters in two months apparently, he'd be forced to say something, sooner or later. Now you mean to tell me that you've been stopping my mail from ever reaching him in the first place? Why?"

The dismay, the sheer betrayal and hurt in her words was obvious, and Erwin gave a long sigh and leaned over the front of his desk, speaking more softly in attempts to deescalate her rising anger, "Plain and simple Petra, your Father still wants you out of the military, and like before, he is attempting to go around you and force our hand. I understand if you don't agree with my methods, but after watching you marry Levi for the express purpose of remaining in the Scout Regiment, under Levi's command specifically, I felt it best to not bother you with the details of your father's demands because it would only cause you further stress over something that was_ properly_ cared for at the wedding."

Erwin watched as Petra's eyes widened, and he held up a hand to clarify before she got the wrong idea, "Legally speaking, you are covered completely even now; I want to stress that there is _no_ documentation or demands your father can make that will ever overstep the authority of your legal husband and that _hasn't_ changed. Your contract with the military still stands Petra, so don't worry about being discharged. Because of that fact alone, when it comes to handling these sort of requests further; the complaints your father has and his frequent pushback, that really is more _my_ job as the Commander to protect my troops and use discretion regarding what information gets back to them. Your position is quite secure, and considering everything was written to myself, at the end of the day you just didn't need to know."

Petra gave a tense exhale and continued flipping through each page in the folder, surprised when most of it wasn't so much hand written requests, rather more legal jargon and demands; proof required of such and such within a certain degree of time regarding their response to article and sub article – Petra shook her head because most of it was far above her understanding, and Erwin continued.

"We intentionally did not send any documentation about the marriage outright, because the longer he could be kept in the dark the better. The first letter we received from him, I believe was a month or so after the wedding? It was exactly as you'd expect – a confirmation that you were not yet returned home, and that if you were not present in his household in the next sixty days, he would be within his rights to bring you home by force. We intentionally did not respond, and after that two month time frame give or take, we got an additional letter with a majority of the forms you see included there – that was a rather _hefty_ document we received - reviewing his legal rights as your father, military and civilian rights and correspondence expectations – in summation, a long and _arduous_ way of saying either give me my daughter, or prove that you are legally within your rights to maintain her present custody, you have thirty days to respond."

Petra was still busy viewing the various papers her father had sent in, not sure where she stood on all the information the Commander was throwing at her, and Erwin adjusted himself in his chair with a sigh, "For that we didn't_ have_ to respond, but knew that it was for the best because we certainly didn't want him showing up at our front door unannounced. We waited it out until the last possible moment and sent him a few articles that simply confirmed you were legally married, and due to the effective date of your marriage, you were able to sign a new contract before your previous term expired. We confirmed that you were still acting as an employed member of the Scout Regiment because we had a sanctioned, binding contract that permitted you to do so."

As she flipped through each page contained in the folder, Petra finally noticed a standalone, handwritten letter at the end, and Erwin nodded as she read it over. He folded his hands over his desk and watched her evenly, "Now here we are. In response to all that, we got_ that_ letter just last week. As you can see for yourself, it's a formal request that you return back to your father's house for a visit. It seems your father understands that you are legally remaining in the military, and apparently he wants to talk things out with you in person, requesting that with the present situation, I make an exception and grant you the needed time off so that you can discuss your future with him directly."

Petra read over the letter, over the familiar penmanship of her father's handwriting, with a furrowed brow and Erwin watched her as she studied the document with a serious expression, "For the record, he understands that you are married, but he isn't aware of _who_ you married at this point in time. I was very specific about keeping that from him, because while it is perfectly legal, there is some admitted red tape with the fact that Levi's still your Commanding Officer and that's a bit tricky to convey through the written word. While I'd like to believe that your father's intentions are perfectly innocent and that he just wants to address the fallout between you, I can't help but remain skeptical. If you are a reflection of your father in any way, now that he's picked this battle, I can't see him just giving up so quickly."

There was a long silence that fell over the room as Petra thought his explanation over and she dropped her letter into her lap and took a collecting breath, "Why didn't you _tell _me my father was still causing you trouble? And more than that, why…why were you intercepting_ my_ mail? I get that none of these letters were directed to me, that's one thing, but_ my_ mail? That was personal, Erwin. Between me and my father –_ not_ you."

Erwin gave a single nod, speaking confidently because at the very least, she deserved answers to her valid questions and even if it upset her, he would take ownership for his actions and not skirt around the issue, "Because Petra, we were blindsided once, and you're too valuable to lose, so for the time being I intend to be more proactive regarding your future in the Scout Regiment. The less information your father has to work with, the better, and I was fearful that you would be a little too soft in your words and potentially speak about issues we were trying to keep a lid on. All do respect, but my fears were in fact validated. _Most_ of your letters pertained to Levi, not as your Commanding Officer, but rather your husband – and that's_ specifically_ information that's best kept a secret until we know more about your father's intentions."

Hearing Erwin's explanation, Petra's mouth dropped open and she held up a hand in question as she spoke in sudden alarm, "Wait, do you mean to tell me that you actually_ read_ my letters? Commander, that's private!"

Remembering some of the words she had written, details she had told her father regarding her thoughts, feelings, and things she would have _never_ told Erwin regarding her relationship with the Captain, she was beyond mortified. The sheer lack of privacy, the sensitive matters she had written about…

When Erwin merely watched her with a flat stare that confirmed he had in fact read every word, Petra could feel her face turning blood red and she dropped her head into her hands with a furious, horrified growl, "Erwin. Those words were _never_ intended for you. I was writing my dad because I'm aware that I need to make things right with him and that means honest, real conversations, about things that matter – like my _husband._ You think stopping my mail is going to _help_ the situation? What's wrong with you? When have I _ever_ made you-" She groaned again, pushing her hair to the side of her face with a frustrated sweep of her hand, "I understand your intentions, but what I was writing about Levi was, well, extremely _personal_ and…oh gods…"

She looked over toward the Captain in sudden realization and remorse, for a moment having forgotten that Levi was in the room with them, and as she looked at him fearfully, all but ready to apologize because he would no doubt be curious as to what she was talking about, what words she had apparently written about him specifically - the first and only thing she noticed was that the Captain wore a strange, shadowed expression that spoke of_ guilt_, and Petra felt the breath leave her lungs outright, because there was no denying what that had meant.

She struggled to catch her breath at the way he watched her, her mouth hanging wide open, and she felt a growing sense of betrayal rise all the more from within her, "I don't_ believe_ this. You too, Captain?"

She swallowed thickly and stared at Levi with a furious glare that confirmed she expected an answer, and she felt her stomach clench into multiple, painful knots when Levi gave a sigh and responded with a single nod of his head. Petra gave a guarded, quipped nod in return, closing her mouth with a click of her tongue. Her eyes began to burn with unshed tears and her throat tightened as she tried to find her words, uncertain if there was anything she _could_ say, because without her knowledge or approval, she had already said far, _far_ too much.

In her letters, she had written to her father details of their relationship – things she loved about the Captain, traits that she adored and things he had done that had made her feel special, without him even trying, things he wouldn't have even known that she had noticed. She wrote of his devotion, of his work ethic, how she was so jealous of his talents and how no matter how hard she tried, she felt as though she could never quite obtain or catch someone like him, because he was beyond her in so many ways. She wrote about the first time he had kissed her – _really_ kissed her, and how it had made her heart soar because it had just felt _right._

Throughout her letters, she had praised his charm and wit – the fact that even though his mannerisms were poor and he had a hard time relating to people, even still she had witnessed countless women fawn over him, because he had been considered quite the eligible bachelor before the wedding, and she knew a lot of women were disappointed when he was officially taken off the market.

She had expressed her fears that she wasn't good enough for him – he was elite and sought after by every faction in the military, private and wealthy Lords were always making him offers that would triple his pay should he consider heading up their personal guard and retire from the military, and she was just some _girl _that needed him for some selfish reasons of her own.

She had spared nothing in her writings; because fighting or not, she knew her father would see her _heart_ in her words, would see her sincerity and know that even though she was hurt by his actions, he would know that she was happy with her situation and she didn't want him to worry, because even though she had known it from the beginning, Levi_ was_ a good man. Yes, their marriage had started as something of a necessity that allowed her to stay in the military, and even though she had once promised her Captain that it was just a meaningless formality, she told her father that she was happy to be with him,_ truly_ happy – happier than she could have ever thought possible. She had written, to the man who had raised her and knew her very heart and soul, that she secretly hoped one day, maybe things _would_ change between them, because try as she may to keep her emotions in check…she was falling for him, even if she didn't intend to do so, and it was only a matter of time until her Captain had won her heart completely, without him even knowing it.

Petra took a shaky breath and looked up toward the same man that her letters had praised so outlandishly; her mouth agape, her heart pounding in her chest as she recounted all the details that were supposed to be seen by her father alone. _Not_ by the Commander, and _certainly_ not by…

Again she swallowed thickly, barely holding back tears as sheer disbelief and embarrassment overwhelmed her, feeling suffocated under the weight of the two men who knew far more about her than they had ever let on, who had known for months, and merely _pretended_ otherwise.

She hadn't wanted to tell him. She wasn't _ready_ to tell him, and even in the event that she _had_ been – she should have been able to find the right time, to find the right_ way_; it should have been her words at a time of her choosing, when the moment just felt right and she knew that she wanted him to finally hear what was on her heart. It should have been a moment of tenderness, and understanding, and compassion and anxiousness, because neither of them had ever wanted such an outcome and the fact it was happening on its own was in some ways, a true burden that she wanted to share_ with _him, as they shouldered the weight of it together.

Knowing that Levi had known – that he had known the whole time - it was like something precious had been stolen from inside of her, and the fact it was_ Levi_ who had so callously betrayed her trust left a burning, intense ache within her because he _knew_ better and he did it anyway. He _knew_ better, and each day he woke up was another day he had chosen to keep it all to himself, and each day had turned into weeks, and the weeks into months.

He hadn't even_ tried_ to tell her.

She dared to lock her gaze with the Captain's, her shoulders heaving as she fought back tears at being so exposed like this, "Levi…how _could_ you?"

Erwin cleared his throat suddenly, though Petra's gaze did not shift from off the Ackerman in the slightest. With a sigh, Erwin spoke, "I apologize for any hurt this brings you Petra; I understand these matters were deeply personal and I know them being brought to light in such a setting would be difficult to process. Rest assured this was not done out of a lack of trust, it was merely a protective measure and nothing more. If it makes any difference, I can confirm that Levi was acting under my instructions as his direct superior; I instructed him to read your letters because he knows you better than I do, and it's possible that even now you know more about this line up of events than you are consciously aware of – details or conversations your father has had with you in the past that may give us insight as to the sheer absurdity of the situation."

Petra took a ragged breath, looking into the ground as she willed herself not to cry, "You brought this up for a reason Commander. Can you just get to the point?"

Hearing her words, Erwin gave a long sigh, attempting to look toward Levi for advice as it was obvious this was not going well, though the Captain's gaze was presently occupied. His attentions were solely focused on Petra as he tried to catch her eye to communicate some wordless something, but eventually, Levi exhaled and looked toward the ground in defeat because try as he may, the ginger refused to acknowledge him further.

With a sigh, Erwin looked back toward Petra, on his own so it seemed, and he crossed his arms thoughtfully, "Very well Mrs. Ackerman. I propose and advise that if you are willing, you _accept _the Military Police's offer and start your vacation the day after tomorrow. Your cast will be removed, and that gives today and tomorrow to pack, as well as all day tomorrow to visit the medical team if things don't quite feel right or you need some immediate help regarding physical therapy. From there, you could take your horse, visit your father for what, about two and a half weeks, after taking out the time to travel there and back? You could use that time to settle your differences, talk some sense into him if you feel inclined to do so, tell him whatever you need to about your arrangement with Levi, and with any luck, that will put this whole mess behind us once and for all."

Erwin watched her for a long moment for a response, and though she nodded pensively, Erwin was well aware that her thoughts were elsewhere. He drummed his fingers against the surface of his desk and when it became obvious Petra had no intention of verbally responding, he exhaled again, "Either way, the decision is yours and you are welcome to choose whatever you are most comfortable with; that would just be _my_ recommendation because as much as I'd like to, fact of the matter is I can't give you a better offer. Four weeks is substantial and even though you are more than worth it, it's just not in our budget so this works out in our favor if you can acquiesce your father's request on the MP's dime. There's no real rush, but try to let me know your thoughts by the end of the day because the Military Police will need to plan appropriately, and the sooner the better. That's all."

Petra took a deep breath and stood up from her chair with a bewildered nod of her head, still keeping her gaze locked onto the floor because she knew that the second she made eye contact with either one of the men in the room, due to her sheer embarrassment and admitted shame, she would start crying outright.

Neither of these men were worthy of seeing her tears at such a moment, and Petra gave a stiff nod as she turned toward the door, "Yeah, I'll do that, Commander. I'll think it over and let you know by dinnertime. If I can't find you, then I'll just uh…I guess I'll tell _Hanji_ in that case."

"Petra, I can-"

It was Levi who spoke, something that surprised Erwin, because though his voice was a mere whisper, the fact he said anything at all at such a time spoke volumes of his concern, but Petra merely walked toward the door as though she hadn't even heard him, "I'll take my leave now."

The ginger moved out of the room without another word, and it wasn't but twenty seconds later that Erwin found himself in an _empty_ room, because immediately after Petra had left, Erwin looked toward Levi in question as though to say 'What will you do now, Captain?', but his expression was lost on the younger male, because Levi was _already _tearing his way across the room, concern and determination clear in his gaze.

It wasn't until Levi reached the door that he seemed to remember himself, and he stalled in place, one hand on the doorknob, and he looked back toward Erwin expectantly, as though silently asking for permission to also take his leave. Erwin couldn't help the chuckle that left him because even with Petra so embarrassed by her strong feelings that were forced into the light, Levi so concerned for her that he all but chased after her by sheer instinct, regardless the anger he was guaranteed to face – Erwin knew with certainty that the Ackerman's would be…just fine.

He gave Levi a nod and waved his hand passively with a bemused chuckle, and the Captain spared no time, closing the door behind him and undoubtedly meeting up with his wife a mere few feet later. While muffled, their conversation that followed wasn't completely lost on him.

"You _read_ them?" came Petra's irritated, waspish voice, "Why would you_ ever_ do such a thing?"

A deep sigh and more footsteps. It seemed the girl was still on the move, and Levi was chasing after her just the same, "Petra, I had no choice! It's my job!"

"Oh you had a _choice_ alright," came her scathing reply, "and you chose to keep me in the dark, probably laughed at me the whole time! Well joke's on you; I made it _all_ up, so…so there! Why are you – ugh, Levi stop following me!"

"Petra, will you just listen to me?"

"No! _You've_ got two legs that aren't broken, right? How about you put them to good use and get out of my sight! Humanity's Strongest,_ ha_. More like Humanity's most insensitive, backstabbing, _arrogant_-"

Erwin couldn't help the snort that left him at her obvious fury, and he shook his head in wonder because whether _Levi_ had chosen her, or whether it was fate that had pushed them together, Erwin couldn't pretend to know, but he couldn't deny that Petra was a fiery woman and he wasn't jealous of Levi's present position in the slightest. Any further conversation was lost on him as they were seemingly out of ear shot, and with a smile on his face and one final sort of sigh, Erwin grabbed out his stationary and prepared to write a few letters.

…

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End of Chapter

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Aaand this is the OFFICIAL, first chapter of the new arc. We bid the gas shortage arc a fond farewell and move onto a much more _anticipated_ arc…that may or may not be a part of where this story got its name in fact. But…that one is a topic for another day :)

Either way with that being said, let me know yalls thoughts! I LOVE this chapter so much, I love Erwin's little smile at the end and Petra being an absolute spit fire as always – and yeah, bringing up the letters. Yall didn't think I forgot about that, right? It was the right thing to do but yeep, trial by fire on that one.

See yall next Sunday! Stay safe and have an awesome week!

~Midnight


	55. The One Where Petra Stands Tall

Hey guys!

Happy, happy Easter! We've dyed our Easter eggs, I've got my kid's easter basket ready to go, hidden the eggs - whole nine! On a separate note, I've got to give a big thank you to those who shared their thoughts last week – yall always spoil me as a writer and I know I've got a lot of you who are here week after week and have been for…seriously like what, seven plus months now? Longer? That's amazing! Hats off to you, because I LOVE seeing your take week by week. It fills my heart with all the feels because my writing community is the best and no one will convince me otherwise.

Either way, last week was critical in terms of making a rather large plot shift, I'm just so thrilled to bring out the new material because (if I do say so myself) this is where the fun really takes off. I LOVED seeing people reference previous moments in the plot, how they are seeing how the character development has all started to click into place and…

I dunno, last week was just a really big week and yall have been so supportive as we head through this plot line piece by piece. I know that Covid still is a thing at that a lot of places around the globe are still shut down, so I'm glad that at least on Sundays there's still something you can look forward to. I wish I had the ability to update a bit more just because I'd love to do my part for the quarantine and spoil yall with content, but I'm afraid I can't write that fast so… Sorry :( But rest assured I am still writing multiple times a week and that I am producing QUALITY material that will be worth the wait.

We'll have to stick with Sundays. But none the less, I hope yall have an awesome Easter and please, enjoy this chapter!

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…

Levi closed the door behind himself, blinking in surprise at how far down the hallway she was, because for being in a cast, she was surprisingly quick. He caught up with her after a number of considerably large strides, placing a hand on her shoulder as he attempted to stop her, but before he could so much as even open his mouth, her voice came out in a venomous hiss and she continued down the hall undaunted, pulling her shoulder out from his grasp with a forceful tug, "You _read _them? Why would you ever do such a thing?"

Levi couldn't help the sigh that left his lips, pausing in place at her scathing words, and he shook his head and again walked after her pointedly, "Petra, I had no choice! It's my job!"

Hearing his words, she gave a sarcastic snort, glaring at the path ahead as she retorted hotly, "Oh you had a _choice_ alright, and you chose to keep me in the dark – probably laughed at me the whole time. Well joke's on you – I made it all up, so there!"

As she walked down the hall, she looked over toward him, her lips tightening in a scowl as she watched him walk beside her step for step and she all but growled, "Why are you – ugh, Levi, stop following me!"

He returned her venomous glare with an irritated expression of his own, certain that her walking down the hall at this breakneck speed was _far_ from what the doctor had intended when he cleared her to walk without her crutches last week, and he tried to keep his rising frustrations in check, "Petra, will you just listen to me?"

She actually snorted at him, giving a rough shake of her head as though finding his request to be utterly ridiculous, "No! _You've_ got two legs that aren't broken, right? How about you put them to good use and get out of my sight! Humanity's Strongest,_ ha_. More like Humanity's most insensitive, backstabbing, _arrogant_-"

Petra's words were cut off midsentence, because Levi had grabbed her arm fiercely and with a tug, pulled her toward him and pressed his lips against hers without hesitation. His hold on her was firm, and he felt her stiffen in obvious surprise as he kissed her without warning.

In truth, Levi wasn't sure what he was expecting, what he hoped to accomplish by kissing her when she was so obviously infuriated with him, and yet, he simply couldn't deny the impulse, because he _had_ known. He had gotten to read her words that weren't marred by her putting on a brave face or skewed by the professionalism they were required to carry themselves with on the daily as they completed their tasks. What she had written, the words she wanted her father to know about him…he didn't even know what he could say in response to her unguarded, tender words of confession and praise, and so he simply responded in the only way he knew how, in the only way that ever _could_ capture his own feelings toward her in return.

As much as he enjoyed the moment – he was quite certain that he hadn't kissed her, hadn't touched her, hadn't had even an ounce of intimacy with the woman in well over a month due to their opposing schedules - it didn't escape his notice that Petra's lips remained still and unmoving against his, stubborn to her core as she tried to make a point of her anger because she was truly _that_ unhappy with him. Levi tried to deepen his kiss, to weaken her resolve and chip away at her stubborn defiance because he knew full well she missed him and wanted his time and attention, which he would _gladly_ provide to her if she would so much as let him, but it was then that Petra turned her head to one side to break his kiss, and with a sudden angered huff, she pressed her hands into his chest, right beneath his shoulders and actually _shoved_ him back with a level of fierceness that surprised him.

It was as Levi caught his footing, having stumbled back a few steps from her show of force, that he watched her with wide eyes as Petra shot him an ugly expression and slowly brought her hand up to her face, wiping her mouth off with the back of her hand as though intentionally wiping away his touch from off of her lips. Her actions surprised him all the more as she held his gaze with a still present fire in her eyes, because Petra had never…_rejected_ his actions so vehemently before, as though thoroughly and completely _disgusted_ by him.

Her lips were pressed together into a barely contained snarl and she watched him with a hateful glare, "How _dare_ you."

"Petra, listen."

"Don't you 'Petra, listen' me, Captain! _You _listen!" she suddenly demanded, her volume drastically increasing from her previous mumbling, "You can't just _do_ that, lie to my face for months, get to know my heart and thoughts with no risk of_ ever _putting yourself out there in return, then act like it's no big deal or that you can just settle it with something like that. What, you think that one fucking kiss from you just makes it _all _better because you're so damn cool and I'm just so lucky to have you? Just because it's not a big deal to you Levi, does not mean it's not a big deal to me. In case you haven't figured it out, it's a _huge_ deal to me. You went behind my back, lied to me by omission, betrayed my trust, and just now tried to dismiss it all and play it off with a single kiss."

Petra gave an exasperated huff, and Levi felt admittedly small under her furious glare, her words making him rather uncomfortable because he truly didn't know _what_ to do or say to try to make it right between them. A slight silence fell over them, and Petra continued just the same, "I don't care what Erwin told you to do, and I get it was your_ job_ or whatever, but I'm furious and I have every _right _to be and you will not take that away from me or dismiss my frustration by brushing it off like that."

Petra looked into the floor then, her expression unreadable as she seemed to debate with herself what more she wanted to say, or perhaps if she even _wanted_ to say anything further at all, and Levi found himself taking a few steps back toward her in uncertainty, standing toe to toe with her again as he watched her in question. He knew he had to do something to make it right, but at a moment like this where she was focusing all her anger on him specifically, Levi couldn't deny she was difficult to read. He wasn't sure if she wanted him to be present in her anger so she could address the situation head on, or if she just wanted to be left alone because he had unintentionally hurt her yet again.

He understood her anger and knew that, like she had said, she had every _right_ to her emotions, but some part of him couldn't help but try to justify the situation in his mind because it wasn't as bad as she seemed to think; it wasn't like he had intentionally betrayed her or went behind her back deliberately. Erwin_ had_ told him to read over each of her letters that came in, because he was so certain that Petra – unconsciously - knew more about the situation and that as she had time to think and dwell over matters as the months went by, she might recall some conversation, some long lost memory, that would give them clues as to where it all started from. Erwin had wanted his take on the situation to see if anything seemed out of character or if there was something specific that jumped out at him.

Though it had placed him in a rather uncomfortable spot, Levi could only agree, because it would stand to reason that Petra had some unknown insight – but with each new letter that came in, it seemed Petra spent more and more time writing less about the situation at hand, and more about her growing feelings toward himself, as her husband specifically. He wasn't a fool, he knew full well that they were words Petra was not comfortable with him knowing, knew they were words she intentionally did not share with him, and even still he supposed he had…_enjoyed_ knowing, to some extent.

He never had to ask what she thought, or if she was happy or if he was doing anything right by her, because her letters were so resoundingly clear, each one filled to the brim with her praise, her contentment, her hope for the future and the fact that she wanted nothing more than to just stand by his side – which was good, as he had no idea if there was anything more he could ever give her than just himself alone, and at times, even that was a stretch.

"Do you know why I wrote all of that to my father?" Petra asked hesitantly, a sudden meekness to her voice that made him feel guilty all the more, because job or not, he knew this had more than tested the boundaries of her trust. He had dragged her words into the light, forced a conversation she wasn't prepared for, and even if he had reveled in her words and found great encouragement in them during a time where he only saw her in passing once every few days, going weeks on end without having any sort of interactions with her at all - under the weight of her embarrassment and true despair, Levi couldn't seem to justify his actions so easily anymore. Yes, Erwin had given the order, but he hadn't even tried to push back, not once.

Truth be told, he hadn't even thought to do so because the reality was…he hadn't _wanted_ to.

"Because Captain. One day, and with all this vacation time at my disposal, perhaps it will be a day that comes very soon, but one day I will have to face my father and I'll need to address all the hurt and bitterness between us. We all know that the sooner my father and I see eye to eye, the less trouble he will cause for us in the future, but it seems the Commander and I have different ideas of how to get there. I get that he wants to be in a place where we are guarded and keeping my father in the dark so he can't use any newly gained information against us but…I suppose that I just needed to write my dad to let him know that I was okay."

Petra shook her head, picking her words carefully as she thought over the true nature of her father's convictions, "My father's biggest concern, at the root of it all, is that I'm going to waste my life here in the military and die too soon. Of course, I don't know how long I'm going to live, but in terms of wasting my life or being unhappy…I wanted to write him and let him see for himself that I'm doing okay, and I'm living life just like anyone else. I think he'll ease up a little when he understands that I'm not missing out, and that I'm relatively happy and still enjoying experiences that a traditional civilian would. I thought that if I wrote him about the wedding, talked about our interactions and how things were changing between us, that maybe he'd feel a little bit better about my life here."

She took a breath and a sudden sad smile came to her face as she stared into the ground with a thoughtful expression, "Some of it was that I wasn't really sure if you and him would ever meet. In truth, I always kind of doubted it because for the most part there's no logical reason that you would ever need to visit him – at least, not under pleasant circumstances, and so the reality was that he may not meet you for some time, if ever. And so...I wanted him to know about the man that I was suddenly married to. It wasn't a lie Captain, everything I wrote was…"

Petra took a staggering breath and looked up toward him, her cheeks a slight shade of pink and her eyes glassy with unfallen tears as she forced herself to speak to the situation head on, "Well, true. Every word. You already know I think the world of you, you already know that things have changed, where neither of us can really pretend anymore that we've got this all under control or that we're just using each other simply because it's convenient to do so. Granted I don't always know how you feel Captain, and I don't think you feel that way, that I'm just convenient to use - at least, I mean, I certainly _hope_ you don't…but when it comes to my father…"

She took a breath and shrugged, "I wanted him to know about my thoughts towards you and that they were real and genuine. I wanted him to understand that, sure, I got married for perhaps the worst reason in the world, but that even though it was stupid, and short sighted…that you are just…awesome. And fun. And challenging and," she gave a sad smile at her words, now refusing to look at him as she focused into the ground timidly, "Just everything a girl could want in a husband, I suppose."

Levi gave a sigh at her admission, her account as for why her father had been the recipient of such words, and for a long moment he stared at her, uncertain of what to say. Under any other circumstances, he would have pulled her against him – wrapped his arms around her and tried to comfort her with his presence, but considering his last attempt at consoling her with his touch hadn't gone well, he found himself stalling in place and whispering instead, his voice gentle.

"Petra if you felt that way, why didn't you just say something – to me, directly?"

She looked up at him then, a dangerous, threatening mix of offense and anger in her narrowed eyes, and Levi knew instantly that his words were apparently the wrong thing to have said to her.

"Oh, why didn't I say anything to you directly? Because Captain." She stated sharply in a tense whisper, tears still brimming in her eyes as she stared at him in obvious offense, "You need to understand that I'm a selfish girl, far more selfish than you seem to think, and I'm terrible because even with all the things I said, all the good that I reported to my father; things a father would need to hear regarding the man that his daughter married…" she shook her head miserably and gave a bitter, pained smile, "With such high praise you'd think that I'd be content, or that I'd be the happiest girl in the world, but I'm not, Levi. I'm just not."

Levi was taken aback at her words, some part of him shocked and hurt because in her writings, Petra had made a point to say how happy she was with him, that even though their arrangement was unorthodox, it pleased her to stand by his side. He could feel his eyes narrow as he studied her, mind racing as he tried to figure out what she meant, where he had gone wrong, and Petra continued just as fiercely.

"You once proposed to me under the base agreement and understanding that it – your offer, the marriage, and our life to follow as husband and wife - meant nothing. It wasn't personal; you told me flat out you weren't interested in being with me, and I accepted it because I felt the same and only cared about staying in the military through whatever means necessary. In some ways, the fact it was just business made it easier to accept, considering you weren't expecting me to play the role as your doting wife or whatever. I didn't know then that I could have possibly grown to…grown so close to you and when you are already doing so much more for me than what you ever agreed to…"

Her lip trembled and she shook her head as she dared to look at him, a single tear falling down her face as she locked her veridian orbs onto him with a broken, dejected shrug, "If you already do so much for me, so much more than you ever agreed to then… then how could I ever tell you to your face that I wanted even _more_? You want to know why I didn't tell you, Captain? Well here goes: How do you feel when I tell you that I take it all back – I want to be with you and I hate our previous arrangement because it's just not how I feel anymore. I want to be with you, as your wife, and partner. I want you to care about me, as more than just your subordinate. I want you to chase after me, and be enthralled with me, and…I want a_ future_ with you, Captain. I don't even know what I mean by that, but I want it none the less, like…" she shook her head and looked around as though trying to find an example, and she pointed to her leg with a tearful exhale, "Like I want this stupid cast off my foot, because the longer its all like this, it just becomes more and more suffocating and unnatural and I'm sick of it!"

Levi watched her, eyes wide as his mind ran a million miles a minute, struggling to keep up with all she was saying to him, at the implications of her words and the fierceness she watched him with. She took a collecting breath and brought her hands to her face, giving a sniffle and wiping her eyes as she tried to bring a control over her emotional state. Her expression sobered and she cleared her throat as she watched him with a suddenly cold expression, "So tell me Levi, what you're going to do about all of that. Are you going to try to adjust your life plans, try to make space for myself _and_ the military? How will you balance that? What, maybe build a house and try to live out your life with me at your side as we take the war on side by side? Is that what you want? Do you think that either one of us would even know how to settle down? What if I retired after my term? Would you still want me around, or would you put me away; send me back to my father's house so you can keep focused on your role as Humanity's Strongest and just wish me all the best, maybe visit every few years to check in as a mere formality? What, a few passionate nights, a handful of letters over the years, and a vague kiss goodbye and an 'until next time'? Is that what you envision when you think of me? Can a girl like me even make someone like you happy, Captain?"

Levi felt a sort of knot in his throat as she shot him question after question, and as Petra watched him with a heavy, narrowed gaze as though expecting him to answer then and there, Levi cleared his throat forcefully and found himself stammering a few broken syllables to no avail. It was obvious to both of them that he had no idea how to respond to her valid concerns they had both been avoiding for so long, and eventually Levi gave a long sigh and allowed himself to fall perfectly silent again because…he didn't know.

He _still_ didn't know.

Watching the Captain's lacking response, Petra shook her head with a broken smile and crossed her arms, "I'm sure it was great getting to read all those things, you know? It would be all too perfect and easy to think that you could just sit back and do everything the same at no cost or risk to yourself and still have it all without having to lift a finger, but the fact of the matter is Captain, you should know that I'd never be content with that. I don't want to be your mistress, or your dirty little secret, or the girl you visit because you're lonely and want some easy company."

Levi intentionally fought to speak then, his voice a hushed, defensive whisper as he tried desperately to find some footing in the conversation. Regardless his unsorted thoughts, he found that Petra's words bothered him because her accusation, her assumption of his motives when he had gone considerably out of his way time after time to prove to her that it wasn't like that, to prove that he wasn't going to simply use her to such an end only to throw her away, just wasn't fair. His eyes narrowed at her words, at her mere implications, and he spoke tensely, "Mistress? When have I ever said _anything_ like that?"

Petra actually laughed and shook her head at the sheer irony of his response, clearly fighting off tears as she responded indignantly. "That's a fair question, Captain. You tell me - when have you_ ever_ said anything about our relationship, _at all?"_

At yet another question he couldn't answer, Levi closed his mouth with a remorseful exhale, and Petra continued, "You know as well as I do that things have been changing – apparently you've known for months now that I _care_ for you Levi. A lot. You know that I want more and that I'm hoping for something real and special with you, so in knowing all that, when were you planning to talk to me about it? When have you ever taken the time to sit down and redefine our boundaries, or tell me your thoughts and what you are or aren't comfortable with? Yes, you've never said you wanted me as a mistress or anything like that, because you've never even _tried_ to communicate such things with me since day one. Did you just plan to string me along, turn a blind eye and hope that you never really had to put any_ real_ work into the relationship? That I would be content, watching you from afar?"

She paused then, watching the Captain for a long moment as a thick, uncomfortable and heavy silence fell between them. Levi had yet to find his words, though his eyes were locked onto hers, his blue orbs a storm of guilt and wanting and uncertainty, and she took a breath.

"Tell me Captain," Petra stated calmly with a knowing expression, "Erwin had you read the letters, right? At any point in time, did he tell you that you_ had _to hide it from me, or that you couldn't discuss what you were reading in each letter with me later? Did he force you to keep _that _a secret from me too?"

When Levi watched her with a hesitant stare, the previous fire leaving his eyes at her cunning question, there was a soft, gentle smile from Petra, and she gave a long exhale because again, Levi didn't have an answer for her.

As she opened her mouth to speak, she reached her hand toward him, her palm coming to rest on the side of his cheek and over his jawline with a gentle caress, and Levi had to fight off the impulse to lean into her touch, because gods he missed her, he hated upsetting her, he hated being flighty and unpredictable, he hated to hear that she wasn't happy, and what was worse, her unhappiness, her sorrow and her uncertainty…it wasn't without good reason.

He was…hurting her.

And he had been, for some time.

"I want all of you Levi, and at this point I may as well just tell you straight to your face because you forced my hand. For the record, I want a relationship with you, Captain. I want your heart, the good and the bad and everything in between. I want to _be_ with you, because I care for you,_ so _much – and you see, that right there - the expression on your face right now, is _exactly_ why I didn't tell you."

She paused and watched him seriously, motioning toward him with a single nod, "You aren't ready, Captain."

At that, she tapped the side of his face with her hand, a mix between a pat and a weak hearted slap, and though the action hardly hurt on a physical front, some part of him was impacted on an unexpectedly deep emotional level and Levi had to take a sharp breath, because the air had left him at once and he was somewhat frozen in place at all she had said.

His throated tightened all the more as Petra watched him in what seemed like disappointment, a sudden tightness expanding across his chest that carried a bulky, oppressive weight, and Petra's expression softened at the way his eyes searched hers as though in a panic; the color leaving his face and the words still not coming to his lips even now, regardless the fact he was obviously still trying to come up with _something_ to say to her.

Petra allowed a gentle, forced smile to come to her lips and she cleared her throat intentionally as she watched him with a calm and acceptance she didn't feel. It was time for her to back off, because she had more than said her peace, and as much as it had clearly hurt him to hear, she wasn't wrong in that he simply wasn't _ready_ for this conversation.

And that…was okay.

Even if the waiting hurt her, even if she wanted to demand he answer her questions then and there and beg him to say all the right words that would restore her heart and calm her agitation, she cared about him too much to force him into a false confession or make hasty promises just to appease her.

Levi was a guarded man; she knew he harbored deep scars and that this unique area of his life was rather raw – unsorted, and unkempt, messy and uncertain because he had devoted his life to the military and whatever was between them had been more of an unexpected accident – perhaps even a mere _side effect_ of all they had been forced to endure together.

The truth was, perhaps Levi would _never_ grow to care for her in the same manner that she wanted. It was possible that what they had now, something more than friends but something _less_ than true intimate lovers that connected and had soul level intimacy, perhaps that would be _all_ that they ever had, and if so…

Petra smiled sadly to herself as she looked at her Captain fondly, his blue eyes still a heartbreaking mix of pain and longing because even if he hadn't found the words, his actions were screaming of guilt and remorse and he was begging her to understand, begging her to tell him how he could make it right between them.

She would if she could, but _he_ was the one who had broken her trust, and she was out of ideas.

"Listen, Captain. I've got work to get done, and you do too, as usual. I was kind of thinking – it's probably not a bad idea for me to go home for a bit and just…clear my head and try to patch things up with my Dad. I'm not comfortable with the idea of being gone away from you all for four weeks, but _someone's _got to talk some sense into my old man, and I am his daughter after all. Either way, I've got a pretty big trip to pack for, so I should…I should probably get started on that. I know you're pretty busy still, so I'm not sure if I'll run into you before I leave. I guess I'll…see you around, Captain."

She gave a polite smile and nodded toward him simply, turning down the hall and walking away numbly.

If this was it, if this was all they ever had…it would be enough.

Better stated, it would _have_ to be enough, because even if she wanted more, even if there was always a whisper of hope that maybe things might change for the better between them, she knew full well that Levi was so above her and some part of her knew she was asking the impossible of him.

And for that reason...

Even if it left a hollow ache in her chest that hurt so damn bad…she knew simply that she was too far in to walk away now, and so she would gladly take whatever he was willing to give her, because….how could she not? She simply cared too much.

For her Captain.

For Levi.

…

* * *

End Of Chapter

* * *

…

*sighs and falls back into the couch*

I legit don't even know what to say. I have literally read this chapter seriously about twenty times this week, and this one happens to be up there with my favorites. Top ten for sure. I know it's not /actually/ a happy chapter because…there's some heavy stuff in there and some really hard moments, and yet my writer's heart just loves it so much because even if it wasn't supposed to happen this way, it did, and Petra had the balls to say to Levi face to face what she's thinking, what she wants, and even though SHE is the one that got drug into the light by Erwin and Levi, she manages to wals out with her head held high because she was finally able to be honest to herself and Levi, meanwhile Levi is left at odds even though by all accounts he should have been the most prepared.

It's a VERY powerful moment, and some part of me gets chills from it because I too, get inspired by our fiery hellion. So proud of Petra here.

Either way yall, I'll keep my ramblings short, because though I love telling you my own thoughts over the chapters, I don't want my opinions at the 'author' to shape your interpretations. Yall are welcome to think whatever you want about the characters or the chapters, who's right and who's wrong - that's the point of all this! Choice is a powerful thing. Till next week guys! Stay safe and again, have an awesome Easter!

~Mid


	56. The One That Comes At A High Price

Morning everyone!

So our quarantine got extended. *long sigh* I'm actually an introvert by nature, so I've somewhat enjoyed being able to enjoy the downtime with my little family unit, and yet at the same time….

Ugh. One day at a time guys. At least I still look forward to updates, and as a surprise to yall (and myself as I don't know when I'll finish it) but I had some nagging inspiration this week, so for those who follow me, expect to see a little email this coming week about a new little piece I'm working on, called Vetitian. It's just a small little thing, a one or two shot at best, but I'll that up sometime during the week when it's ready and I think yall will enjoy something maybe a little different :)

As always guys, I'm so thrilled that you're enjoying the story. As said, last chapter was also one of my favorites, so to see such overwhelming support for our main girl – yeah, that made my week. Thanks guys!

…

* * *

…

"No husband today?" the doctor asked, looking up from his seated position and holding Petra's now bare ankle in his hand, giving her a single nod expectantly, "Go ahead and give that a roll. Feeling alright?"

Petra nodded in return, and carefully rolled her ankle in a clockwise motion a few times, giving a slight grimace at the odd and tight sensation that ran up her leg, feeling surprisingly bare without her bulky cast that she had grown accustomed to, "A little stiff, but it doesn't hurt. And as for Levi, I think that Captain had other schedule conflicts. With all the recent changes, his schedule's been overloaded and he isn't always able to step away from his duties. I know it bothers him that he has been a little unavailable throughout this whole process – I think he mentally envisioned my recovery looking a little different - but at least for these checkups, he's usually been able to make it work. Still though, I'm aware that he has important duties that can't be sidestepped, so it's okay."

The doctor gave an amicable chuckle at her response, then nodded back to her foot, "Well it happens, and to some extent I'm surprised he was able to be here as often as he has been. Alright now go ahead and point your toe? That looks good. Now flex your foot upward; let's make sure there's no ligament or tissue damage remaining – excellent." The doctor set his clipboard on the bed and stood up, offering her an arm, "Alright Mrs. Ackerman, let's try out a bit of walking, shall we?"

She made a nervous, animated expression and gently slid off the examination table, grabbing the older man's arm as she habitually stood primarily on her opposite leg that hadn't been injured, and with a breath of preparation, she shifted her weight into both of her feet, feeling a sudden wave of nervousness, but then overwhelming relief when…nothing happened.

She blinked, then looked toward the doctor and shrugged, "Alright I've got to admit, I kinda felt it would be a little bit more weird standing up like this. That was pretty anticlimactic."

The man gave another chuckle at her honesty, "Well the mere standing isn't that big of a deal, but you'll feel it here in a moment." As he spoke, he gave a light pull of his arm to encourage her to move with him, and the doctor took one single slowed step at a time, watching the girl for any signs of pain or discomfort, "While your bones appear to have set and healed properly, your muscles have been laying relatively dormant for some time, and so you'll find that you feel fatigued quite easily. Tenderness, sensitivity, perhaps a dull ache that comes and goes at random – all normal and will start to fade after a week or so."

Petra nodded in understanding, and the doctor exhaled and pulled his arm away from her as they reached the edge of the room without issue, "Alright Mrs. Ackerman, you seem to be doing well enough where I don't think you'll need my help further. How about you walk to the opposite end of the room and back on your own?"

She gave a nod and completed his task, answering basic questions along the way, like how sure is your footing, not feeling off balanced, any concerning discomfort or high levels of tenderness, to which she replied with a mere shake of her head. She understood now what the doctor had meant earlier. Her ankle was fine for the most part; it could support her weight and she could walk on it without the fear of falling over or that it would buckle out beneath her, but it was notably stubborn and tense. True to the doctor's word, after six weeks of being protected by a cast that took the bulk of any impact and weight off her foot, even with the mere few minutes of being up on her feet, she was admittedly ready to sit down for a moment because her leg was already feeling the strain.

Luckily the doctor was well aware of what to expect, having seen more than his fair share of injuries in his day, and eventually gave her a nod, "And that will do. Go ahead and take a seat, I've got just a few more questions and after that, you'll be all set."

Once she sat down, the doctor began flipping through his charts and he handed her a small handful of papers, "If you're interested, here's some material about what to expect, some basic exercises you can do to help loosen up those ligaments – that sort of thing. Now if I understand, you're planning on taking some time off and going back to your hometown?"

Petra nodded, "That's right. Assuming everything goes well here, I plan to leave tomorrow morning. I'll be gone for a while, a full four weeks actually. Is that okay? I had assumed there won't be any further check in's needed, but…"

The doctor shook his head at her question, "No, you're fine on that aspect, but I'll warn you now, your ankle is going to protest while you travel because riding for so long is going to tire you out considerably and you may be limping for a few days as a result. I'll go ahead and get you an ankle brace before you leave, and while I suppose you don't have to wear it, trust me when I say that you'll want to. It might not hurt to wear it overnight as well, just to give some additional support while you heal up a little more from the daily wear and tear you're going to experience on your journey."

Petra nodded again, and the doctor shifted in his chair, giving her a casual glance as he looked into his clipboard, "And if you don't mind Mrs. Ackerman, I've got just a few more questions that I'd like to address. With you being in here so much I figured we might just save some time and fill out your annual physical so we can take that off the list. Most of it I've already completed through your prior visits, but there's a few sections left to fill out. All I need now-"

There was a sudden light knock at the door, and both the doctor and Petra looked toward the sound curiously, a feminine voice coming from the other side, "Sorry to interrupt, but Captain Levi is here. May I let him in?"

Petra blinked in surprise and found herself stuttering to find a response, eventually clearing her throat as she forced herself to answer because it was obvious the question was directed to her specifically, "Yeah, that's fine. Please."

The door opened and Levi stepped in, giving the doctor and Petra a single nod as he moved into the room and lounged himself against the back wall as though silently overseeing the appointment.

As Levi walked past her, Petra was still coming to terms with the fact he was there at all, because while her previous words hadn't been a lie – she was certain that Levi had legitimate schedule conflicts that would have kept him otherwise occupied, it had been just yesterday afternoon that she had verbally given him a true mouthful regarding the dialogue between what she thought had been herself and her father, and in the aftermath of it all, some part of her thought she wouldn't truly see him, not really see him anyway, until after she got back from her trip.

She assumed there would be a brief exchange between them; perhaps he'd walk her to the stables, nag her the whole way about taking care of herself or not doing anything stupid, but in terms of a real interaction with him, she was certain she had all but scared him away where he was only present in the role as her Captain. As for Levi, the man that was hesitantly opening his heart to her bit by bit, when she had been caught off guard and her own heart was exposed and left bleeding, she was certain she had said far too much to him and hurt him in the process.

Not that she thought he'd make a point of avoiding her per say, but considering it would have been an easy and truthful thing for him to conveniently be elsewhere while she sorted through her complicated emotions on her own, she was admittedly surprised he had proactively worked something out in the end and made a point to be there just the same.

"Looks like you made it after all Captain." the doctor greeted with a nod, then looked back into his chart and flipped through a few pages, "In truth you didn't miss too much. As you can see, we have successfully removed the cast. I had her do some basic exercises and take a few steps, and I'm pleased to say that everything is looking good to go where I can officially mark in her file that she's made a full recovery. I confirmed with her that some tenderness and overall fatigue is perfectly normal, and that she should plan to wear a brace over these next few days, especially while she's traveling. The only thing we have left now is some basic questions here for her annual physical, and after that, we'll be all squared away and won't need to see her until next year!"

With Levi standing behind her and out of her immediate line of sight, she could only imagine that he gave the doctor a nod, and the man picked right back up where he had left off, asking her basic questions, a basic overview of 'On a scale of 1-10, how do you feel about your day to day energy level' - questions that tested her mental stability, how satisfied she felt with her life as a whole, any thoughts of suicide or depression, and eventually the man nodded.

"Alright, that all looks good, and just a few more questions Mrs. Ackerman. Can you go ahead and confirm the date of your last menstrual period?"

Oh goody. They were at_ that_ part of the physical.

Petra made a thoughtful expression, thinking back over her past few weeks and giving a guess, "Uh, I think the 16th or 17th? That sounds right."

"Thank you. Any chance you are pregnant or that you may become pregnant?"

Petra felt her eyebrows raise, and tried not to allow the question to make her uncomfortable. Under any other circumstance it actually _wouldn't_ have, as this was a routine question that she and every other female was asked every year, but considering that in the years previous, her Captain hadn't been in the same room, considering that she wasn't previously married to him; considering that with their marriage, Levi was now the man in question that would be theoretically _responsible_ for such a thing, Petra was instantly embarrassed and immensely so; suddenly grateful that Levi was standing directly behind her so she didn't have to see his reaction, or visa versa, as she responded to the doctor's routine questions.

"No." she said simply, hoping that her voice sounded relatively confident and didn't give away her obvious and building unease.

At her response, she watched the doctor's expression shift into a sort of concerned frown and he looked up from his paper with a serious expression, "Mrs. Ackerman, I want to be respectful of my patients and their privacy, but I feel the need to mention that between this year and last, you've had a change in marital status. Considering I am the one who writes all applicable prescriptions for the Scouts, I _also_ happen to know full well you aren't on any form of birth control at this present time. I'm aware there are other methods of contraception that can help avoid the risk of an unplanned pregnancy, but as your doctor I'd highly recommend you take something proven to be more reliable and effective, because those alternative methods really shouldn't be relied upon as anything more than a mere backup. It's been six months now? Perhaps longer if you were engaged in a physical relationship before the wedding? I don't mean to judge or speak out of place, but I can't help but state my concern, because error is often times a mere eventuality when more intentional steps aren't taken regarding family planning."

At the girl's uneasy shifting in her chair, the doctor took a breath and watched her purposefully, "Unless of course, you are presently trying to conceive a child? Because in _that _case, there are other products I can recommend that may assist; probiotics and vitamins, ways to track your upcoming fertility window, that sort of thing. Either way though, it stands to reason that some form of update needs to be made here, and this is the time to do it after all."

When the doctor looked up from the clipboard in question, not in judgement but simple curiosity regarding how they could best prepare and assist the young couple, Petra reminded herself to breathe and she eventually shook her head in admitted discomfort because the room seemed suddenly small and she was very aware of the Captain that stood just a few feet behind her, "Uh, no I…that won't be necessary. We're not..." she looked toward the doctor sheepishly, not sure how to find the words to explain without being too direct, silently begging him to understand and change the topic because grown woman or not, this conversation being held in such a setting when she and Levi hadn't so much as whispered a word of dialogue surrounding this topic…

It was all a bit…much.

Sensing the clear tension in the room, the doctor looked toward the Captain, then toward the blushing woman, and he set his pen down on the clipboard in attempts to better understand her muddied expression because presently, he wasn't able to get a concise read on either of them and their sudden discomfort regarding the subject matter was palpable, "Perhaps I should just ask directly to make sure I have a proper understanding - are you sexually active right now, Mrs. Ackerman?"

Somewhat resigned to her miserable fate, knowing this discussion was apparently inevitable, Petra merely shook her head, not ashamed of her answer so much as just _mortified_ that she had to have this questionnaire with a certain Captain, right at the back of the room and overseeing the whole thing.

A look of sudden understanding and clarity fell across the doctor's face, as though silently saying to himself that actually made a lot of sense and certainly accounted for some of the strange moments he had witnessed between them over their various visits. Knowing that he had unintentionally stumbled upon an uncomfortable topic between the couple, he gave a simple nod and continued as though nothing out of the usual had been said, "That's perfectly fine Mrs. Ackerman. Of course, family planning _is_ a very important topic, so even if you aren't in a place right now where you have to worry about an unexpected pregnancy, as your doctor I'd still greatly encourage that you _both-_" He made a point to look at the Captain directly as he said that, then nodded after catching the man's eye and looked back toward Petra as he continued, "have that intentional dialogue when you feel ready for it, because not doing anything or being improperly prepared may lead down a path you aren't ready for, but by then it's too late."

Petra gave a nod, grateful the man didn't seem to be lingering on the subject, and he wrote a few notes on the page as he spoke, "So. If things ever change and you become interested in more effective precautions or other ways we can assist with your family planning needs, please give us a visit in the future and we'll ensure that you have applicable resources at the ready."

"Thanks." Petra whispered softly, and the doctor's questionnaire continued without further lingering on the subject.

It wasn't but ten minutes later that the man was standing, handing a stack of yet more discharge papers to Levi and giving the man a firm handshake before turning his attention toward the shorter woman, "Well Mrs. Ackerman, it's certainly been fun having you here and I know the nursing staff will miss your constant cheer, but maybe do me a favor and try _not _to have any more accidents for a while, okay?"

Petra gave a bright smile and laughed at his words, also exchanging a handshake with him before carefully following the doctor out of the room cautiously, moving step for step as she watched her feet to ensure she didn't miss a step or trip by mistake.

As she moved out the room, just past the doorway, she felt a hand move to the small of her back and a presence right behind her – Levi – and when she looked up at him in overwhelming uncertainty, not sure what to respond to because there was just _so much _to choose from; their heated interactions from yesterday, her upcoming trip, the misery that was the doctor's sudden questionnaire, any last minute items of business that would certainly come up while she was still here - but before she could so much as open her mouth to speak, she found Levi's eyes were shining with a hint of something perhaps on the verge of…playful, but more notably, an undeniable note of _pride_ as he watched her walk on her own for the first time, without her cast.

All at once, under the_ obvious_ approval and delight of her Captain, Petra found herself blushing outright, overwhelmed by his warm expression and unable to stop the flight of nervousness and contentment she felt in knowing that he was greatly pleased with her. His hand slowly wrapped around her side as he came up more fully beside her, and Petra marveled how such a simple action could make her feel so…giddy.

It was strange, but even if Levi _didn't_ share the depths of her feelings, even if yesterday had been hard and she was hurt by his actions that were _still _unaddressed and unresolved between them, even still…Petra couldn't help but note that there was something perhaps, beautiful, in the fact that Levi _knew_ of her feelings, knew her heart and her fondness for him, and even if he was still undecided or not ready for such a commitment, even still he _accepted_ her just the same.

Just like that, after watching her expression change and a blush paint her cheeks a warm and pink hue as she bit her lip nervously, Levi gave a light, undeniably pleased chuckle, using his free hand to muss her hair as he walked with her step for step; not a word spoken between them.

…

It was as they were walking out of the medical ward, down the dirt path at a light and gentle pace, that Petra looked toward him with a smile, and she nudged him with her shoulder as they walked, "You know, I really didn't think you'd make it today, Captain. I know that you're really busy."

He looked over toward her, watching her with a side glance and he eventually shrugged, "Well I would have come sooner, but I had some important business with Erwin to see to that I couldn't really delay anymore."

Petra gave a light nod, and as a silence fell between them, a more serious, pensive atmosphere starting to grow as the silence prolonged, Petra eventually gave a long sigh and looked toward Levi, "Captain, about yesterday. Can I just…look, I was thinking. I know you feel bad and that you want to make it up to me – which_ isn't _necessary, for one, but I know that's just how you are so there's no fighting it. So on that note, I was thinking about what you could do or whatever, or things that might actually mean something to me and…"

She shook her head as though losing her nerve, not sure if it was even _right _for her to proactively ask him for anything, and Levi watched her for a mere moment before looking toward the path ahead, giving a single nod of approval because it seemed she needed the encouragement, "I wouldn't mind hearing your ideas Petra; it's fine. I know that yesterday admittedly looked bad, and it's not my intention to cause hurt or to…"

He wore a conflicted expression then, as though uncertain of how to put his thoughts into actual words, and Levi merely shook his head as the silence prolonged all the more, "…What were you thinking?"

Petra took a breath and looked at the path ahead with a sad smile, "Alright but before you say anything, I already _know _you can't, so don't take it to actually mean anything or that you should feel guilty about it when you have to say no, but I was just thinking yesterday how cool it would be if, maybe…you came back home with me."

Levi blinked at her words, watching her with suddenly wide eyes, though Petra was still looking ahead and so his curious expression was lost on her completely as she explained with a wistful sigh, "In truth Captain, I would really, really like it if my dad got to meet you, in person. And what's more, I'd like to spend that time with you, you know, traveling and not having so much work and business and demands to see to, but just…_really_ be with you."

She gave a small laugh and shrugged, almost whispering to herself, "I mean, I know you can't and so I've got other ideas – mostly cleaning because maybe the vindictive side of me would enjoy assigning _you_ tasks for a change - but all in all…I don't know. I think it would just be really cool to spend that time with you because it would certainly beat spending the next four weeks alone."

She gave a contented sigh, as though even thinking about it truly made her_ that_ happy, and Levi's expression softened. He shook his head in admitted surprise, "Really? After upsetting you and making you feel as though I broke your trust, you want to remedy that by spending _more_ time with me? What would that even do for you?"

Petra looked toward him at his question, as though not seeing his point in the slightest, and Levi dismissed it with a sigh, almost speaking in a bitter pout because of course Petra wouldn't understand. "Sorry, never mind. It's just that I can't think of many people who would consider four weeks with me an actual_ vacation_, and especially not a way to patch up a disagreement. To your point, I don't think I've ever taken that much time off before in a single go. Maybe at the most two weeks. That's…"

At his words that seemed to taper off, Petra waved her hands and laughed good naturedly, "No no, I know Captain. I'm aware it's not really plausible, but I-"

"I'll talk to Erwin." Levi stated simply with a nod, and at his simple response, Petra's mouth was hanging wide open in sheer disbelief.

"Wait, wait what? You, you _really _will?" she stammered with obvious shock on her face, and Levi looked at her in equal wonder.

"Well sure." He reasoned with a tilt of his head, "If it really means that much to you, then the absolute least I can do is_ ask_ Erwin about it before outright shutting it down. I mean, unless of course that wasn't a _real_ invitation and you were just saying it to be-"

"No, no!" Petra corrected him instantly, her shock morphing into a pleased smile as Levi's gaze fell onto her with a quirked eyebrow, "I wasn't just saying it Levi, I really would like that; if you could come home with me, I mean. Even just you asking, it's more than enough. It really, really means a lot to me. Thank you so much. Really."

Levi watched her in disbelief for a long moment, seeing the sheer contentment of her expression, and he exhaled because perhaps some part of him was admittedly agitated that she was giving in so easily. She had always been like that, especially graceful toward him in particular, and after repetitively witnessing just how forgiving and gentle and fucking _perfect _she was – it was hard to understand what she saw in someone like him and he couldn't help but be frustrated and guilt-ridden all at once.

He looked back toward the path and spoke in bitter confession, "Listen woman, I'm not trying to pick a fight with you, but of all the things you could ask for…fuck, I'm just going to have to say it. You really could stand to raise your standard's a bit. Or a lot. I feel like this is hardly enough because I've fucked up more than once and it's like you're so damn eager to brush it aside. Maybe I shouldn't say this but…you could_ stand_ to be mad for a while, you know? At the very least, your forgiveness shouldn't so easily be bought because after something like this…Petra, that's a_ cheap_ price."

There was a quiet sort of hum that had left her then; a shadowed look in her eye that spoke of twisted amusement, and after a long silence, Petra merely gave a dark sort of laugh, "Well now…I wouldn't quite say _that_, Captain."

Petra had stopped walking, something that had surprised Levi as he turned around toward her in question, and the expression she watched him with was one that was admittedly hard to place; a sort of smirk, as though she had some sort of secret, though her _eyes_ spoke of guilt – an admittedly unsettling combination that left him at odds.

"Everyone seems to want you for something these days, and I'm no exception to that anymore. So considering the fact that you'd be _willing_ to pull yourself out of the military for four weeks in attempts to just be with me in return – well, I consider that to be _extremely_ valuable."

She paused for a moment and her previous sort of smirk fell as her volume reduced to a serious whisper, "I'm asking for _Humanity's Strongest_," she caught his eye for only a moment, and Petra shook her head seriously, "Fact of the matter is, I don't think my price could _be_ any higher, Levi."

At her direct explanation, Levi wasn't sure what to say in response, and so he didn't.

…

* * *

…

Hours later, Petra was finally finishing up the last of her packing, presently organizing her duffle bags and rearranging the disarrayed items she was leaving behind back into her dresser in a more orderly fashion. As she moved about her room carefully, admittedly finding her ankle to be a little sore and grateful the doctor had provided her an ankle brace, there was a knock at her door and she smiled, calling out over her shoulder as she worked, "Door's unlocked."

A moment later, she gave a simple nod, not at all surprised to see Levi walk in and close the door behind himself, "Hey Captain, how'd it go?"

While she wished she could have perhaps played it cool, waited more than a single_ moment_ before asking him so directly how his chat with Erwin had gone, she couldn't help her curiosity when she saw a certain hard set expression in his eyes – he was displeased so it seemed – and she found she didn't really have the discipline needed to wait for him to eventually bring the topic up on his own. She looked toward him more directly as she put her riding boots near the front of her room with the rest of her luggage, "Based off your expression, I'm guessing not good?"

She tried to keep the disappointment out of her tone, because she knew it had never been up to Levi to decide, and she didn't want to make him feel guilty for what was out of his control. Of course, she had known from the start that the chances of him being permitted to leave while the Scouts were in such a pivotal time were slim to none, considering they'd be in a tight enough spot without her around, but even still, she couldn't deny the deflated sort of feeling that came over her.

At her question and subsequent assumption, Levi was admittedly caught off-guard by her words, because to his knowledge he wasn't making any particularly expressive response that would have hinted at the meeting going any particular way, but apparently he must have been doing _something_ that had tipped her off, and he could only shrug passively, "It went fine. Nothing bad, it's just Erwin is such a fucking know it all and it pisses me off sometimes - even more than damned Four Eyes because yeah, she's annoying, but at least she's _humble_. That damned fucking_ Erwin_ though, his pompous attitude is insufferable sometimes because he's always fucking right somehow and just one damn time I'd like to see him be flat out wrong about something, but no. He's always fucking right and damn, it pisses me off!"

Petra stood up from the ground slowly, turning around toward Levi as she watched him directly for a more clear response because his sudden tirade didn't paint a clear picture for either outcome, "Wait, sorry I know you're mad or whatever but… it went fine as in, it went exactly as expected where you're needed here, or it went fine as in, you're actually coming back home with me?"

He exhaled at her redirected question and gave her an affirming nod, "That. The second one. I'll go back with you. If you want, I mean. Erwin said that I can take the time off, so it's up to you. I know you're upset still, and that's okay. If you don't, I mean. You know, want me around that whole time. It's your call."

He had wanted to say those words more casually, but admittedly due to his uncertainty of what Petra wanted or needed from him, he found himself somewhat stumbling over his words instead because regardless the Commander's approval, Levi felt the final decision should be left up to her.

Yes, he knew full well that Petra was still mad at him, even now. She was acting _kind_, professional; being more graceful toward him than he deserved, but he still knew she wasn't over it. She was distanced, still watched him with a look that begged the question 'why' and it was clear that she struggled with the fact that he had been reading her mail without once talking to her about it. He wasn't worried that the damage was irreversible; he had been in a similar position before and knew better than to believe that things were damaged beyond repair considering it was Petra he was dealing with – it was just…it would take time.

It stood to reason that if she wanted to address it by spending the time on her own; to sort out whatever her feelings were or weren't for him, perhaps enjoy some time without the stress of the military and try to straighten out whatever was going on between her and her father – that was certainly enough to shoulder _without_ the added issues of their own relationship struggles – so he could be patient and allow her that freedom because perhaps the time apart would do her some good. She was always so accepting of him, thoughtful and cautious in her attempts to not push him to any extremes, and he found that above all, he wanted to be , or at the very least _try _to be, as gracious in return, and_ allow_ her the time to be angry with him, and to dislike his actions and _actively_ disagree with him.

To some extent, he supposed that even now some part of him was admittedly skeptical of her previous claims, feeling that she may have only invited him on her journey out of mere politeness' sake.

And yet, watching her eyes widen as an excited smile spread across her face, seeing her mentally review the fact that he could, and _would_ accompany her; her immediate unguarded reaction confirmed the sincerity of her feelings, more than her words ever could, and Levi found himself giving a somewhat shy, hesitant smile as he watched her, not aware he had been so nervous until the feeling of _relief_ came over him in resounding, clarifying waves.

She really _did _want him there.

"Yes Captain, yes, I'd love that so much!" her sudden energy and excitement was palpable, it seemed she was just short of jumping up and down and clapping her hands as she watched him in return with excited and pleading eyes, "Please come back with me, Captain - it will be so much fun! Please, say you will!"

Levi could only give a huff of an exhale, admittedly a little overwhelmed by her sheer excitement and uncertain how to respond in kind, because yes, he was undeniably looking forward to being with her for a full, uninterrupted month after so much time of being apart, but there was no way he could match her sudden intense level of energy and he sincerely hoped she wasn't expecting him to do so.

He swallowed thickly, and gave a hesitant nod as he tried to find his words, "Uh sure…no problem."

Watching his sudden awkward sort of nervousness, Petra bit her lower lip in attempts to contain her even larger smile, and she merely nodded in a more subdued fashion, "I'm glad, truly. Thank you, Levi. It really, really means a lot to me." She paused for a moment as her expression fell pensive, and she watched him more seriously, "You said something about Erwin though. Did something happen? Does he need me for anything or whatever? I planned on going to his office here in a bit, just to make sure there was no unsorted business I was leaving behind that needed to be cared for but…"

At her mention of Erwin, the Captain seemed just short of rolling his eyes, "No. The man thinks he's so goddamned clever. When I went in his office, I caught him at a bad time because he had a meeting with a handful of Officers that were on their way. I told him I'd just come back later because I had something to run by him, and the bastard just waved a hand, asked if it was about your vacation because he_ already_ had it all worked out so there was no need to bother him about it. Apparently he_ knew_ that you'd ask me, and had already taken the liberty to arrange the time off and clear my schedule. In the end he barely even looked up from his desk; just handed me a stack of papers and dismissed me before I even said why I was there, because _he_ had other things to get done and_ I_ had packing to do."

Petra blinked.

Erwin had correctly wagered that she'd want Levi to go home with her? Had correctly wagered that Levi would actually be _willing_ to do so, and had gone as far as to proactively clear the Captain's schedule to allow such a thing, before Levi had even asked the question?

"Are we…that predictable?" she finally asked, her mouth hanging open in sheer wonder at Levi's account for his 'meeting' with Erwin that had turned out to be nothing more than a confirmation of what Erwin had already accounted for.

The Captain rolled his eyes and crossed his arms with a pointed exhale, "Well to a normal person, no. But to Erwin, a man that moves people around like pieces on a damn chessboard - yes, apparently so." He paused and looked toward Petra more seriously and continued, "But he did want to relay the message that his work to allow my schedule to coincide with yours like this, he'd like you to see this as the Scout Regiment's way of_ also_ repaying you for your success in the gas shortage, with the collective understanding that this has absolutely nothing to do with your upcoming review."

Levi paused again and shot her a look that said 'Can you believe that', then shrugged in admission, "Granted, I'm not sure how I feel about being handed out like some damned consolation prize, but Erwin made me swear to tell you that he's allowing it strictly because of the hard work you've done and what you've accomplished for them. Under any other circumstances, he'd never allow such a thing because the military as a whole tries to keep a somewhat tight leash on me, but you've grabbed his interest and he doesn't want the other two regiments to completely outdo us in terms of their intentional bribery. So…lucky me."

Petra couldn't help but roll her eyes, having suspected that Erwin would also find a strategic time to make his move, and she couldn't deny he had chosen a rather perfect opportunity, and a rather brilliant avenue to do so, "He's a clever man. It may not mean a lot to you, but it means a lot to me; certainly more than a mere paycheck, and he knows that. The time off though from the MP's, I'll admit that one's pretty nice. I do have business to sort out with my dad, and I'm grateful that my family drama isn't weighing down on the Scout's budget."

Levi nodded, "Oh about that - there's also a bit more from Erwin it seems. He doesn't know when we'll be traveling back of course, but as for the trip to your father's house over these next few days, he's also prepared some traveling accommodations for us. He gave me a map and some addresses, so I hope you didn't have any specific places or cities in mind for lodging, because Erwin's already cared for that as well. Smug, know it all bastard."

Petra felt yet another wave of surprise, and she shook her head dumbly, "Oh, well, no that's perfectly fine. Wow. I wasn't expecting that." She made a face at his words and frowned suspiciously, "Levi, I know it's not really my business, but I'm just curious. Where exactly is all this money coming from? I'm flattered that Erwin would go this far, but I don't want the Scout's to suffer in attempts to impress me because I don't need it. I mean, I know you make a significant amount more than me, so trying to cover your pay is bad enough on its own, and if he's booked hotel rooms on top of that – I don't know. I don't mind accepting things from the other factions, I mean, they actually get _proper_ support from the government so they can afford those sorts of things, but I know Erwin has a hard enough time with the budget as it is and-"

Levi shook his head and watched her in attempts to clarify her valid concerns, "Oh, don't worry about that. As for me, it's unpaid time – and before you freak out, don't. Frankly, I don't really need the money. The job pays, well, actually rather terribly, but more than I need none the less, and when most of my expenses are already covered by the military, I'm not exactly hurting for the funds, so I'm not concerned about a measly paycheck or two. As for the hotel rooms, I _suppose _the Scout's may be paying out of pocket, but in truth, I highly doubt it. Erwin knows a lot of people, has a lot of connections, and if anything, he's probably just called a few favors in. It's fine. He wouldn't blow our budget for something like this, and frankly, this is a great example of how Erwin operates. He's found a way to grant you a personal favor that is tailored to you specifically, and, perhaps he wouldn't want me to say this to you directly, but the fact of the matter is, I doubt it's going to cost him a dime."

Petra accepted his explanation with a sigh of relief, "No, no I'm glad you did. I don't need a flashy price tag to impress me, and honestly I'm more relieved than insulted. I guess all that's left now is to finish packing and hit the road in the morning."

She looked toward her collected few duffle bags and motioned toward her things factually, "Actually, I'm pretty much done on my end. I presume you need to pack still? Would you mind if maybe, I kept you company?"

Levi looked toward her things, then back toward Petra, giving a gentle nod as he responded simply, "If you want, I wouldn't be opposed. I'd, perhaps, like that."

As Levi turned toward the door, he suddenly paused in place, as though having something further to say, and as Petra watched him for a long moment, her curious expression only growing all the more as he remained frozen in place, eventually, Levi gave a sigh and kept moving.

Whatever he had wanted to say, either he lost his nerve completely, or he simply didn't know _how_ to.

…

* * *

End of Chapter

* * *

…

There you have it. The transition and set up for the new arc, which should be pretty obvious as we've been walking this direction since….what, some fifty chapters ago? Yall are so patient with me, and I'm grateful haha. As for my unneeded two cents, gosh. All three of these mini sections really could make their own chapter, but they still work so well together none the less.

I absolutely LOVE the moment in the Dr's office. If yall haven't guessed, I have very strong opinions about being smart, taking care of yourself, having intentional, 'grownup' conversations with your partners, and I don't' know – them getting that very professional, doesn't have to be awkward but we _are_ going to talk about it, stare down from the Dr – yeah, chills yall. I could absolutely go off on this subject, but I won't. Scouts Honor :)

As for the section after, man, there's just really, really good moments and insight that make me smile. Anywho, yall take care this week, keep an eye out for that new story alert. Keep staying safe and being awesome!

~Mid


	57. The One Where Eld is (always) Right

Hello to my lovely, lovely readers!

Truth be told, it's again another day where I'm really dragging because we had a late-night last night in preparation for our kayaking trip today (first trip of the year!) and so as I type this up, I'm really just half awake at best. None the less, I can't help but say that as always, you guys have made my week with your thoughts, your excitement, and your support in both this one, and my bitty little side piece that I posted for funsies. For me, my week was actually kinda crummy, so to see the thoughts and kindness of my reading community really put a smile on my face and I'm sincerely grateful for it.

Either way, I'll stop rambling, give another sincere thanks, and let yall do your thing. Happy Sunday!

…

* * *

…

"Look at that, up and moving all on your own!" Eld nodded toward her leg and smiled, "How's it feel?"

"Actually, kind of weird." Petra admitted with a bewildered shake of her head, also looking down at her leg and flexing her foot from within the concealment of her riding boot and feeling her brace tight against her skin, "I wasn't even aware of how used to the cast I was until it was gone. I'll admit that I'm still feeling on the weaker side now that I'm walking on my own, but the doctor said that should only last for a week or two. I'm hoping to be feeling a lot more like myself by the time I get back here. Captain mentioned that he'll try to start the rehabilitation process sometime next week; once we're a bit more settled in at my dad's. He's hoping that by the time we get back, I'll be ready to use the 3DM gear again, but perhaps that's still a bit ambitious because it seems the smallest of things tire me out right now. So…I guess we'll see."

Petra took a breath and adjusted back into her chair casually, "Even though it's a while away, it's still a little hazy whether I'll actually be able to _participate_ in the next Expedition or not. Fingers crossed, because after reworking the mechanics of our gas utilization for the Scouts, I'd feel like a schmuck making everyone else use the new system on the front lines while I stayed behind in the Walls safe and sound. It just wouldn't be right."

Eld shook his head as though her fears were ridiculous, and watched her seriously, "If that's what happens, then it is what it is and no one will fault you for it. Frankly, Captain has already given me the material for while you're gone, and most of it trains the squad as a four-man team instead of five, so I wouldn't hold your breath because it's not looking good. Either way though, you and him will be gone for a full four weeks, right? Are you excited?"

"Yeah, I am." She admitted honestly, a slight blush rising to her face as she thought about being alone with Levi for so much time, "Just the fact that Captain is actually coming back with me - it's crazy. Aside from the impossibility of getting the time off and all, I guess some part of me really didn't think he would go so out of his way like this. I know he's apprehensive because he has no way of knowing what he's walking in to, but the fact that Captain could have said no and still chose to come back with me anyway…it's really cool."

"Well, you guys have been married for six months now, right?" Eld asked her seriously, then gave a laugh, "I know _you _may be surprised that Levi made this trip a sudden priority, but honestly, I would have given him some serious hell if he _didn't_. After all, Levi wouldn't be much of a man if he had the option to go and _still_ allowed you to go home to face your dad alone. Considering _he's_ the one who proposed to_ you_, it's only fair that he have that conversation with your old man, face to face. Untraditional or not, personal or not, the fact remains that Levi stole you away without your dad's knowledge or blessing, and he'll have to own up to that sooner or later. It's _expected,_ Petra - a man to man thing."

At Eld's words, Petra gave an unconvinced huff and crossed her arms, "Well just because it's 'expected' doesn't mean that it was easy. Even if Levi's never met him before, my dad can be a bit confrontational, so even if we haven't had that direct dialogue, I think Captain knows full well that it won't exactly be a warm welcome. Apparently my dad's been fighting it this whole time, and I don't think he's ready to give up just yet either. I imagine it might be a little…tense."

Eld gave a small chuckle and shook his head, "Well I believe it, but something tells me that Levi will be_ just_ fine. He's also stubborn in many ways, and even before you were his wife, he was willing to fight for you in attempts to keep you around. Granted, I haven't met your dad either, but even still - my money'son the Captain for this one. The guy doesn't take well to direct opposition, and in truth, I'll bet some part of him is looking forward to going head to head with your dad, because Levi's probably had it up to here with his interfering in military affairs."

The pair continued conversing, enjoying a cup of coffee and their somewhat relaxed start to the morning; a sort of buzz in the air as both Petra and Levi were making their last-minute preparations and in the current process of leaving. As it stood presently, Levi had teamed up with Gunther and Oluo and they had moved to the stable, moved their horses closer toward the compound, and were now working to properly secure their combined luggage for the trip back to her dad's house.

Again, Eld and Petra watched in silence as Gunther and Levi moved back through the halls, carrying further necessities for their trip, and Eld looked back toward her as he observed his teammates with a passing smirk, "And I see you are still being babied. Captain won't let you carry your own luggage? How romantic, he's so _protective_ of you."

Petra shrugged at Eld's teasing, because she should be so lucky, and she took another light sip of her coffee, "I did offer, and for real I would have had no problem pitching in - but the fact of the matter is it's going to be hard enough just to ride all day, as sad as that is, so Levi was pretty insistent that I try to take it easy this morning and let them do all the manual labor."

Eld grinned as he watched Gunther and Levi move back into the room yet again, carrying a few more bags and exiting the compound a few moments later, "And looks like I'm the lucky one, tasked to keep you company."

Petra watched him skeptically and shook her head with a snort, "More like_ babysit_ me. Captain seems to think I'll try to sneak my way in later or something, so he sent you here to keep me occupied. Don't think you're fooling me, Eld."

Again Eld laughed and merely gave a shrug, "Captain is just worried you'll overdo it, like you always do. And besides, it looks like they're just about done. You ready?"

"As I'll ever be. I'm a little nervous; I suppose I share some similar apprehension, same as Levi, because I don't quite know what's waiting for me back home. Is my dad mad, or outright furious – is he just going to break down when he realizes that I actually got married to Levi? The not knowing is killing me. Honestly, it's a shame that my hometown is so far away. My nerves are already eating me alive and I know it's just going to get worse over the trip back home."

Eld's expression grew mischievous and he shrugged innocently, "Well you know Petra, with you and the Captain being alone like this over the next few days while you travel – I'm pretty sure that if you asked him nicely, there's a few things Levi might be willing to do that might help you out with those nerves; you know, have him help you _relax_ a little, in a way that only your _dreamy man crush_ can."

At his insinuation, Petra choked on her coffee with a sudden wave of violent coughs and gasps, blushing immensely as she tried to clear her throat and find some way to respond. Seeing her horrified reaction, Eld's previous smirk melted into surprise and he gave a disbelieving, loud groan because with a reaction like that, he knew at once what that had meant, and it was almost too much for him to stomach because there was just no way.

"Oh damn, for real?" he asked in an amazed whisper, "I was being sarcastic – teasing - because I figured that you guys, well, frankly, already_ had_ by now so I assumed that was already on the menu for both of you. But you mean to tell me that…no? _Still no?"_

When Petra looked up from her coffee cup with a shy, miserable shake of her head, Eld found himself leaning toward her in dismay, "Holy shit Petra, it's been six months where I've seen the two of you watch each other the way you do, and you mean to tell me _neither_ of you have found a way to bridge that gap yet? Petra, I thought you _wanted_ that with him! I know you find him attractive, and I know you _care_ about him - what more are you needing to see from the relationship before, well, you know, you're ready for that or whatever? Don't tell me it's _Levi _that's been trying to take things slow. The man is extremely attracted to you, and I _know_ you've noticed so don't try to play it off like you don't know that he wants you_ bad_. Honestly Petra, I'm starting to feel bad for the guy. After seeing you as his _wife_ for so long now, his wife that he apparently can't touch, well…he's probably a little…uh, up tight, if you catch my drift."

Petra could only give a defeated sigh and she shrugged mournfully, "I know…but Eld, its complicated, okay? Now listen, you better not tell the guys any of this, because it's none of their business, and…well, it's none of _yours_ either, but I trust you and we both know you'll just pull it out of me later, like you always do, so what's the point."

Eld smirked at her bitter acknowledgement, and Petra spoke softly as she tried to explain, "Levi…it's just been hard these last few months, and things aren't always smooth sailing between us. I broke my ankle, so that alone put a damper on things, but if that wasn't enough, with the whole reworking the usage of gas, well…just think back because you would have seen it yourself. When were we ever together last month? In_ any_ capacity, and not just physically, I mean. The only times I saw him were at my routine doctor appointments, and even that mere _one_ hour every two weeks, he had to _fight_ for that. One time Erwin gave us all the night off, so that was nice, but that was seriously it. For the whole month. The rest of my time was spent working with Hanji or the Commander or other squads and their Commanding Officers – I'd work all day and stumble back to my room late at night, usually without so much as _seeing_ Levi, try to get some sleep and do it all over again the next day. That's been my life for the entire duration of my ankle healing up. I'm ashamed to say it, but there's been no_ time_ for Levi and our relationship. And for something like that, I would be devastated if our first time was just a moment of weakness one night, followed by not seeing him for another two weeks to even _talk_ about it. Frustrated or not, I think even _Levi _would have been upset by that."

She gave a sad sigh and shrugged, looking into her coffee mug as she spoke in perhaps what she realized, was actual _disappointment_, "For the most part, there just hasn't been any opportunities for us to walk those blurred lines and see what's okay or not okay for us, and what's more - I'm not getting into the details because it's _really_ none of your business - but we're somewhat at odds even now. It's okay, I mean, better said, things _will_ be okay, but it doesn't take the bite or betrayal or the pain of it all away. I haven't been around Captain for a while, and now that I have been, he's not exactly my favorite person. What's more, my head is a mess because everything with my dad is coming back up and it's all gone full circle – and_ then_ when you add in the fact that my ankle is still so sensitive and I've got just this month and a few weeks to try and get back in shape for the next expedition, I just-"

As she spoke, her words began flying out of her mouth at an impressively increasing speed, and Eld blinked and held his hands up in surrender, "Woah woah, Petra, easy there. You aren't blue balling _me_, so I don't need your fifty different reasons. I get it. It's a bad time and the military comes first."

Petra gave a sad nod, and as a silence fell between them, only slightly marred by Levi and Gunther's newest trip in and out of the room with the last of their collected baggage, Eld leaned toward her and spoke softly to ensure that his words weren't overheard by the rest of the still moving squad, "I get that things happen at their own pace with you two. Frankly, how the both of you go about your relationship makes no damn sense to me, but regardless, I can see that it's real and that both of you are trying to make it work. I don't know what happened between you with your fight or whatever, and based off your wording, I can only assume that _he_ did something that hurt _you_. Maybe it's not my place, but if you're looking for advice, perhaps just…maybe cut the guy some slack, Petra? In the past, I've talked to him regarding how he handles his relationship with _you_, because at the time he was making mistakes and needed a push in the right direction, and now, I feel it's time I advocate on his behalf, because there's a few things you could stand to be reminded of."

Petra's eyebrows knit together in question, perhaps even in a hint of offense, and Eld continued undeterred, watching her directly with a serious stare, "Petra, you've_ got_ to remember that Levi…well, I'm pretty sure he's never been in a serious relationship before, and like it or not, he didn't _want_ to get into one either – it just worked out that way. I know he's trying, and he's pushing himself the best way that he knows how; trying to shape himself into something that can perhaps make you happy, but he's _going_ to make mistakes. He's going to doubt your feelings, and doubt what you see in him, and doubt his own self-worth, because _no one_ has ever seen him in such a light before. He's going to want to push you away just as badly as he wants to keep you close to him, and the fact that he tries and _still_ messes up is going to discourage him more than you could possibly imagine."

He paused and gave a shrug, "Like you've said yourself, Captain is good at a lot of things, and he's _not_ used to failing – and _especially_ not one of his own subordinates. I imagine he's crushed under the weight of his guilt more often than not, but because he cares about you and wants to be with you, he keeps trying just the same, even if in his mind he's bound to fail at every turn. Hell, at this point, I'd wager that he simply doesn't know how to _not _chase after you anymore. Frankly, you're probably the best thing that's ever happened to him, and he knows it, and is scared shitless because he doesn't want to lose you, but at the end of the day, he has no idea how to_ keep_ you either."

Eld paused and grabbed his coffee cup, shaking his head in quiet conviction as he spoke, "At the very least, I for one don't envy his position in the slightest, because with the military and your roles and all, well, you've made it really hard for him to know where he stands with you, and no doubt the distance just makes it all that much harder on him. He's probably going out of his mind trying to figure out how to be a man_ worthy_ of a woman like you, and when you push him away or don't acknowledge the effort he is showing, I'll bet he can't help but assume that he messed up and ruined it all. Levi is…well, he's pretty tough on himself and I think sometimes you forget just how critical he can be."

Hearing his words of correction, the wisdom and sincerity that Eld spoke with regarding the very heart of her Captain, Petra felt a sudden pricking of her emotions, and she had to swallow a few times because as Eld spoke, she found so much clarity and_ truth_ to his words – things she had never even _thought_ of before- and it was almost enough to bring her to tears because she knew full well that…as usual…Eld was right.

Luckily, the blonde was too caught up in his own words to notice Petra's wavering resolve, and he gave a laugh, "I can say this; you're definitely not the only one that noticed the distance last month, Petra. We were_ all_ busy with training and duties and different squads to teach with hectic schedules of our own – all that to say that there were a few times I'd come back late in the night, like two or three in the morning, and Captain was asleep in the _hallway_, sitting right outside your bedroom door as though just the sheer knowledge that you were around put him at ease. In some ways, I think the distance was more hard on him. It couldn't have been easy, knowing you were hurting and overwhelmed with your recovery and new role – and knowing that for as close as you were, there was still nothing he could do to support you because he had a job of his own. He talked to me once about it actually; confided in me that he felt like a complete failure as a man, because when he was sick, he treated you terribly and you were_ still_ around. When you got hurt, he felt as though he had been forced to abandon you because he had his job to see to, and even now I don't think he's gotten over it."

Again, Petra found herself swallowing thickly, having to blink a number of times and intentionally looking down at the table in a way that would cause her hair to fall forward and shield her suddenly blurry eyes from a certain, way too observant and meticulous blonde. She hadn't known that – she hadn't known _any_ of that. She hadn't known that Levi had been sleeping outside her door just because he felt the need to be close to her when all their time was spent apart for weeks on end. She hadn't known he had felt so guilty, or that he felt he had failed her because he was Humanity's Strongest – so of course he couldn't step away from his role just to watch over her.

Petra pressed her lips together and tried to take a collecting breath, although a slight hint of a sniffle left her instead, and she stiffened instantly, knowing that even that small sound would have given her away because Eld didn't miss those kinds of details, ever.

Looking up and finally noticing that his words had clearly made an impression on her, Eld gave a light chuckle and gave her a small nudge with his shoulder, "Hey now, I wasn't trying to make you cry or anything. I'm not saying the man's a _saint_ by any means; he can be jealous and broody and an outright asshole because he can't see things outside of his own perspective and he's a stubborn prick to be sure. But even still, I can't help but feel a _little_ compassionate for the guy and tell you to go easy on him, because his feelings_ are_ genuine, and I know he's trying hard to go outside his comfort zone for you. At the very least, if you can't let it go, then you should try to remember that this is_ his _vacation too. Finding some time to kick back and have a bit of fun together…it's important. And I think you_ both_ need it after these last few months."

Watching Petra slowly think over his words, unfallen tears welling up in her eyes even now, Eld gave a sigh and shrugged lightly, "But that's just my opinion. Don't dwell on it for too long; for all I know, I'm just grasping at straws. Maybe Levi really _is_ that bad. I mean, you of all people would know better than me, right? He's probably the absolute worst."

Before Petra could respond to his claims, some part of her knowing that Eld was now intentionally laying it on thick in attempts to goad her into_ some_ form of response, there was a voice that called out from a few feet away and grabbed her attention completely, "Oi, Petra. We're all set. You ready to go or..?"

It was Levi who was speaking to her, and Petra looked up from the table, turning at the sound of his voice and finally _seeing _her Captain. A sort of wonder fell over her as her eyes met his, and Petra wordlessly stood up from the ground and eventually walked toward him, a slowed caution in her steps as her mind continued to race with unresolved thoughts. As she moved across the floor, Levi looked out toward the door where both Oluo and Gunther were standing, nodding as he spoke lightly, "The town Erwin picked out is about six hours away, so we're not in any real rush per say, but the sooner we get there, the-"

His words were cut off mid-sentence, because Petra had kept walking until she was right in front of him, and without so much as a hint of warning, she had brought her hands up to the sides of his face, standing right up on her toes and pressing her lips against his in a searing, desperate and all-consuming kiss. Not satisfied by just their mere kiss alone, Petra pulled him lower to meet her, leaning her body against his and not even caring that the squad was standing right there and witnessing her obviously_ quite_ passionate display with a certain Commanding Officer. She moved her lips against his in determination; thankful and moved and compassionate and wanton all at once, thinking about everything Eld had said to her and knowing full well that his words about Levi were undeniably true. Even if the Captain hadn't verbalized it, even if he struggled with his feelings and knew nothing about how to keep and uphold a relationship with her, she _knew_ he cared deeply, because his actions had always proved it. And now, after hearing Eld's account for how Levi had fared these past six weeks without her, some part of her simply couldn't help herself because her emotions were getting the best of her. Past her anger, past her embarrassment of being found out – gods, she just wanted to be close to him; to hear his heart race,_ feel_ his surprise and taste his desire.

The way Levi had watched her lately, his silent glances he would shoot her from across the training grounds if their paths even remotely crossed – it had often held an element of longing, of pure desire, as he would meet her eyes for only a moment, and then he'd look her up and down before swallowing thickly and shaking his head because in his wandering glance, he had obviously lost his focus. It was clear to her that she was an object of the Captain's interest and desire, and as much as that shocked her, she knew full well that it was only a matter of time now. Levi would approach her, and soon, and she knew instinctively that there was nothing she wouldn't give to him – no part of herself that she ever _could_ deny him because she cared for him so profoundly. She enjoyed her time with him, she _wanted_ to be close to him, and what was more…

She wanted this. Being intimate, getting to cross those boundaries with Levi - she didn't want to just 'appease' him – wanted to be with him, fully, in every possible way because she herself _wanted_ and craved that intimacy just as badly.

Her own thoughts fueling her actions all the more, Petra ran her tongue along his newly parted lips ever so slightly, a mere trace of contact as she baited him purposefully, leaning into him even further and deepening her kiss as she felt Levi hesitantly _return_ her actions, something that surprised her, his lips pressing against hers lightly and cautiously, as though uncertain if he were allowed to do such a thing or not. Whether it was because they were fighting, or because they were in front of the guys, she wasn't sure, but his timidness spoke to her none the less, almost making her heart ache because her Captain had always been so sure and confident before. She brought a hand around his neck and pulled him deeper still into her kiss, because _yes_ he was welcome to kiss her and dammit, why had she ever pushed him away in the first place? Gods, she was so _stupid_ sometimes.

It wasn't until Gunther gave a laugh and a 'Yeah girl, you _show_ him who's boss.' followed by an additional low sigh from Oluo who grumbled something along the lines of 'Gods, we get it – you guys are married. Sheesh, stop being gross.' that Petra pulled back away from him. Apparently she had made _quite_ an impression on the Captain, because as she fell back flatly onto her feet, her hands still framing the sides of his face as she tried to catch her breath, Petra almost gave a laugh outright when she looked up toward him and realized that Levi was _blushing_, and heavily so.

His mouth was still parted in surprise, his blue eyes wide and questioning, and his shoulders were heaving from a mix of astonishment and lack of breath as he looked down at her in silent bewilderment. Petra watched him for some time with a blush of her own, biting her lip as a sort of nervousness came over her after realizing the sheer _boldness_ of her actions. By all accounts, her kiss had been far from an innocent little peck on the lips, and the fact she had pulled him toward her, wrapped her arms around his neck and forced herself against him, demanding his full attention in a way that guaranteed her success – and all in front of her own squad mates no less…

Petra cleared her throat and gave a nod, forcing a calmness into her voice that she didn't actually feel, because the more she thought about it, the more embarrassed she became because maybe she had gone a little overboard. She looked up toward Levi after taking a moment to collect herself, seeing his face become somehow redder still and she looked to the ground nervously.

Okay, maybe a lot overboard.

She nodded to the door, "Yeah, I'm ready to go, Captain. Thanks…for taking care of the luggage."

It was as she walked toward the door without any further lingering, that Levi forced air into his lungs, only somewhat registering the conversation that was happening around him as Petra walked away with her fellow teammates, as though she_ hadn't_ just kissed him like that a mere two seconds ago.

"You know Petra," Gunther gave a low laugh, "_I _helped with the luggage too. If you wanted to slam _me_ against the wall like that, I certainly wouldn't be opposed. I mean, some of those bags were pretty heavy after all, and if that's the going reward, well, I know you're married and all, but I suppose I can suffer through it."

"Oh you liked that, did you? Tell you what Gunther, if _Captain_ says it's okay, then you come back and find me."

"I'm just saying, one kiss from you and the man's all but catatonic. I've never seen him blush like that either, that's for damn sure. I'm curious Petra, are you that good of a kisser, or is Levi just that sheltered? I feel like we need an outsider's opinion to settle the score. What do you say?"

"Oh, are you feeling a little lonely over there, Gunther? If you need company _that_ bad, I suppose I can make an exception and-"

"I'd sooner die than stoop down to _your_ level, Oluo. Your lips are always chapped; it'd probably feel like I was making out with a cactus."

"That so? Well that's not what you said last night."

Any further conversation was lost on the still-dazed Captain, and eventually Levi looked up in a still prolonged stupor, unintentionally looking toward Eld as he tried to come to terms with the fact that Petra had…

Wow.

What had _that_ been about?

Not allowing his mind to replay her actions because he was _already_ having a hard-enough time trying to put it behind him, Levi swallowed thickly and gave a single shake of his head, trying to calm his still racing heart as he mentally debated what the hell had happened where Petra had apparently decided he was in her good graces again, to the extent that she kissed him like that, so _passionately; _so suddenly.

Fuck, he hadn't even seen it coming. One moment he had been talking to her about their traveling plans, and in the next, she had silenced him in a devastatingly effective manner; winding her body up against him and_ forcing_ her lips against his as though reminding him outright that she was, and would be, everything he had ever wanted. It was like she was making a point to show him that she was right there, _right fucking there_ in his arms as though just waiting for him, and then she had kissed him for all she was worth - forgetting the squad, forgetting her manners, forgetting_ everything_ else that wasn't his lips and body, because apparently she had wanted to kiss the _fuck _out of him, and so she did, simple as that.

Levi found himself biting his lip in memory, still feeling her heated kiss and the brush of her tongue, the pull of her hands and the press of her body that had wordlessly promised more. An excited, electric surge seemed to run down his spine, and Levi gave a low sigh. Petra. She was such an unpredictable, alluring woman, and it seemed like such an unfair, double standard, because only a few days ago he had kissed her without warning, and she had pushed him away with such malice and betrayal he had legitimately felt guilty. Now _she_ had randomly kissed him, in a time where he had no intention of doing such a thing because they had business to see to, and damn, it just wasn't fair, because he wasn't even mad, wasn't offended or irritated by her actions in the slightest.

No, just the opposite. Even now, all he wanted to do was chase after her, grab her by the wrist and force her into the nearest empty room to _finish_ what she had started because it had just felt too damn good to stop right there and the fact that she had used her own body as bait to…he mentally groaned. Fuck, even_ now _he didn't know what the hell she had wanted from him but damn, he had to admit that she certainly had his attention.

As Levi _again_ tried to clear his mind, knowing that he would probably be stuck on that little stunt of hers for some time, he looked at Eld more clearly and the man's suddenly strange expression caught Levi's attention all the more. As Levi suddenly focused his undivided attention onto the grinning blonde, because there was an undeniable sparkle of mischief in the man's knowing eyes, that after a moment of their silent, wordless exchange, Levi began connecting the dots and realized that Petra had, perhaps, been put up to it. As Levi's eyes narrowed in silent accusation as though to confirm that…surely Eld didn't know _anything_ about her strange behavior, right? - the blonde merely gave a sort of half smile at Levi's suspicious stare down, giving him an innocent shrug as though to say he obviously had_ no_ idea what had gotten into her because they had just been having a mere conversation over a cup of coffee and she went off the deep end.

Eventually Levi took a breath and crossed his arms, rolling his eyes and giving a dry snort.

…He really should have known.

"I suppose I owe you some pain, for meddling again." Eld gave a smirk at the Captain's remark, and Levi watched him flatly as he continued, "I don't know_ what_ you said to her, but it must have been some seriously sappy shit for her to act like that. I don't know if I should be impressed, or freaked the fuck out. You have a bad habit of intentionally yanking her around and manipulating her emotions, and now it seems you couldn't even let her stay mad at me. That was a bit reckless, don't you think? You don't even know what I did. Petra is an emotional woman, but perhaps her anger was….justified." Levi found a smirk on his lips as he moved across the room, and Eld stood up and nodded, a growing smile on his own face as he also walked toward the Captain proudly.

"Well I'm sure that whatever you did, you learned your lesson and won't intentionally repeat your mistakes. In some ways, I suppose I'm taking a gamble on you and trying to make it so you can start the trip off on the right foot with her. It's only fair that I warn you now, I've worked hard to push the two of you together, so I'd be pretty pissed if it ever got back to me that you treated her badly or broke her heart by being an asshole. I might just have to take a few swings at you when you got back, just to let some of my frustration loose."

Levi actually chuckled at the underlying threat to Eld's words, and his smirk widened all the more, "Oh? You're hardly in a position to best me, Eld."

Eld gave a laugh of his own and shrugged passively, "I'm not so sure about that. But to some extent, I suppose you can blame any of my shortcomings on my good for nothing Captain; he's just not that great of a teacher."

Levi merely nodded in amusement at the man's chiding, and as the two finally met in the center of the room, the Captain held his hand forward, "In that case Eld…I suppose you'll have to do a better job, while he's away."

As Eld grabbed Levi's hand and gave him a firm handshake, Levi's expression turned serious, "Do it, Eld. Take care of my squad while I'm gone. We have an Expedition coming up, and I'm counting on you to keep them strong and focused in my absence. They'll follow your lead, but you have to push them hard and keep them disciplined. I don't want you, or any of my men to die."

Eld nodded, "I swear it, Levi. We'll be ready."

At that, Levi was preparing to drop his hand, satisfied with their exchange, but as the Captain loosened his grip, Eld merely tugged him forward into a sort of hug, "Alright, c'mere you grump. It's gonna be a whole month that you'll be away and I'll miss seeing your ugly mug."

Levi was frozen in an instant, shocked by Eld's sudden embrace, and as he tried to recover, planning to clear his throat and say some halfhearted insult in return, Eld merely continued in a suddenly soft and serious manner, "And listen, as for Petra… Captain, I've always prided myself on watching out for her, but it seems she's grown up and found the man she _really _wants to stand by. And because of that I'm counting on_ you_ to protect her while she's back home. I know it's not your element, but you have to stand up for her, and guard her _heart_ – because it's going to be bleeding and she won't know _how_ to ask you for help along the way. Even still, you need to be her shield for when she can't stand up for herself, okay? She'll need your strength."

Levi made an uncomfortable sort of sound, clearing his throat as he gave Eld a slow, cautious sort of pat on the back in return. Thankfully Eld released his grip without much delay, and as he stood up more fully, Eld's still serious gaze fell on him, and Levi nodded again, "I'll be there Eld, for every step of the way. Petra will…I'll try."

The blonde smiled at the flustered expression on the Captain's face and he motioned toward the door with a nod of his head, "Alright, I'll hold you to that Captain. Now, go on and get out of here. Petra's outside waiting."

Levi also looked toward the door, a hesitant sort of smile coming to his face and he gave a wave over his shoulder as he turned and began to walk away. Watching his retreat, Eld gave a sort of laugh and called out warmly, "And Captain, for whatever it's worth, I hope you get lucky."

Levi paused in step, and it seemed Petra's kiss had put him in a remarkably good mood, because whereas Eld had been expecting a sort of scoff, or for Levi to flip him off over his shoulder, instead the Captain merely gave an amused shake of his head as he responded quietly, "You know what, Eld? …Me too."

The blonde gave another laugh at the Captain's honest answer, and once the Captain left the Compound and closed the door behind him, Eld sat back down at the table and finished his remaining coffee in one go.

It seemed he had some serious work to get done – that, and some _serious_ bets to make.

…

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End Of Chapter

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…

*soft smile* Yeah, this is also another one of my favorite chapters. I know, I know, I say that every chapter, but in my humble opinion, this chapter is just such a sigh of relief. There's been a lot of angst, uncertainty, moodiness and a lot of needed character reflections from both Petra and Levi, so to have this chapter where it's a lot less introverted as a whole, and our characters are ALL represented and playing their roles in wishing Petra and the Captain a farewell.

*silent sob* But for me, to not have Eld in my back pocket for use of comic relief and just everything Eld, yall I don't know if I can last the four weeks without our blonde-haired instigator! *dramatic sniffing* But. I shall endure.

On the side, I said I'd try to give a shout out for when the next chapter of Vetitian will be up, so I wanted to give that head nod right quick. Let's plan for the 6th of May, and chapter two will be up and ready for yall.

Till then guys, thanks a million and have an awesome week!


	58. The One At the Hotel

Morning everyone and happy Sunday!

I spent a good chunk of time this week (as I will also do for another few weeks most likely) going back and editing the chapters, yes, starting all the way back in chapter one and moving forward bit by bit with a red pen. Mainly I'm focusing on those pesky formatting errors that slipped through, typos, things of that nature, but if something stands out to me that needs to be improved upon, I'm going ahead and making some adjustments as well. All that to say if you find yourself rereading and you suddenly wonder how in the world you ever missed _that_ the first time around – its probably new and something that I felt needed to be rehashed or explained, or emphasized more intentionally. Obviously no major changes were made that changes any of the story's canon so don't stress about having to force yourself to reread – it's really just _clean up_ more than anything else where most of it is the exact same, minus the missing spaces haha.

Anyhow, man, I love that yall are loving the new arc. I too had so much fun writing this section, and yeah, Eld really is bloody always right about everything. Yall know I love squad Levi, and I've always had a special place for Eld because he's such a down to earth prankster.

I'll strop rambling. Yall enjoy this chapter :)

…

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…

"Oh my god." Petra stated in complete amazement, looking around their apparent hotel 'room' with her mouth agape, turning back toward Levi who had just entered the room a few moments after her, barely having taken even two steps inside the room before her frantic voice reached him.

"Captain! Captain, come look at this!" she called out loudly with sudden urgency, and there was an obvious note of concern in Levi's voice as he approached her quickly after some last minute shuffling.

"What? What is it?"

Levi's urgent expression was lost on her, as Petra was still turning every which way and looking around the large and spacious area because she just couldn't _believe_ it.

Upon walking into the large, well-lit and beautifully decorated entry way, there was a large and spacious bathroom just to the left, a hallway with plush carpet and full length mirrors that led into a wide bedroom that had quite possibly the largest bed she had ever seen in her entire life, beyond that, crystal clear glass doors that led to a balcony, complete with a view of the city and nearby lake. To say the view and general aesthetic of the room was 'nice' was…_vastly_ underplaying the elegance of the establishment, and Petra was certain that this kind of luxury was on a level she had never been exposed to before.

"This room!" Petra responded to Levi as she waved her hands in demonstration, still looking around in sheer disbelief, and once Levi realized that nothing was _wrong_, that she was _still_ star struck after finally seeing the room Erwin had selected for them, he glared in annoyance and moved back toward the door where the bellhop was still stationed, irritated that he had been duped into thinking for even a moment that something had _actually_ been wrong.

"Is everything to your liking, sir?" the younger man asked with a knowing smile, having witnessed Petra's multiple 'oohs' and 'ahhs' as they had been escorted to their room and clearly amused by her surprised animated reactions to everything, and Levi merely nodded with a still aggravated shake of his head.

"It's fine." He handed the kid a tip, because while this was clearly_ Petra's_ first time visiting a more high end establishment like this, it certainly wasn't his.

"Oh thank you sir. I've already arranged to have your luggage delivered in just a few moments, and I'd like to confirm your reservation for our luxurious and renowned three course breakfast tomorrow morning, courtesy of a Mr. Erwin Smith, for eight thirty?"

"Three courses? Of what? That's amazing!"

The younger man smiled at Petra's background commentary, and continued with a bemused chuckle, "Is that fitting for your schedule, or would something a little earlier, or perhaps something later, be preferred instead?"

"No, that's fine." Levi responded simply, and from behind him, from somewhere in the room, Petra's still excited, slightly muffled voice could be heard calling out to him yet again, "Levi, this walk-in closet is bigger than my whole bedroom! You kidding me? This is insane!"

This time, not even Levi could keep the smirk off his face, and he couldn't help but shake his head because with her clear excitement, it was impossible to stay irritated with her.

The bellhop gave a single laugh and continued, "Of course, dinner is just around the corner and I'm sure you are both hungry. You are welcome to dine in our lake side dining room; we have a full-service bar just left of the lobby, and we do have live musicians playing every weekend, so if you feel like dancing afterward, just follow the music and-"

"Oooh, dancing! I love dancing! Levi, that sounds like fun! Can we go later?"

"Not with that ankle, woman. No dancing." he called out over his shoulder, and once again, the bellhop found himself giving a single amused, but respectful, chortle after witnessing their guests' amusing antics.

"In that case, perhaps I should also make you aware of our twenty-four hour, five star room service – for our more reserved clientele that prefer a calm and serene night in, rather than the more fast-paced night life options."

"It's certainly more practical," Levi nodded toward the young man, "so I'm sure we'll make use of it."

"Boo, Captain. You're no fun. Room service indeed."

"Behave woman."

The bellhop's smile twitched with amusement, "We make frequent rounds each hour to ensure your requests are met as quickly as possible, so should you decide that you want anything, you'll find a full menu, drink selection, and other guest services we proudly provide, listed on top of the desk. Merely write down what you wish, stick it outside your door, and a staff member such as myself will collect it and prepare your demands as soon as possible."

"Thank you." Levi said simply, and again the young man nodded.

"My pleasure. Please enjoy your stay!"

Levi closed the door with a nod, walking down the ornate hallway and into the main area of the room - finding Petra, still buzzing around the area and grinning ear to ear.

Somewhat paying her no mind, Levi kept moving, walking around the large area intentionally and inspecting it room by room for any concerning signs of improper cleaning or anything else he found to be disagreeable. In truth he wasn't expecting he would actually _find _anything incriminating, as this was far from the Captain's first stay at this particular hotel – Erwin certainly had his favorites to be sure – and all of their previous experiences had always been admittedly top notch.

It wasn't until a good ten minutes later, after their luggage had arrived and the new bellhop had moved their bags into the spacious walk-in closet - also receiving a handsome tip for his services - that Petra finally seemed to have returned to her senses after walking through the various areas and dramatically calling out her findings one more time (the large spa style tub, the dual sinks in the bathroom, and the walk out balcony with a lakeside view were all particularly noteworthy so it seemed) and after commentating on almost every inch of the vast room, Petra eventually gave an exhausted plop onto one side of the bed – although the large smile never left her face completely.

As she laid across the top of the extraordinarily large bed, she looked over toward her left, toward where Levi was sitting on the opposite end of the mattress, and she gave a loud sigh as a way to grab his attention. He looked toward her with a quirked eyebrow, and she beamed, "Captain, this is _really_ nice. I'm curious, do you guys always stay in places like this when you travel? This is the life!"

The Captain gave a shrug and looked into the pamphlet he had previously busied himself with, folding the provided brochure and speaking as he began reading the menu over, "Not always. Back when I first began traveling with leadership, Erwin wasn't particularly selective and selected establishments that favored the ease of location more than service or quality. It wasn't always _bad_, but there were a few times that I found his selection to be unlivable, and in hindsight he probably got tired of me complaining about it."

Petra gave an amused hum and looked around the room once again, "Well this is just insane to me. I've never stayed at a place even _half_ as nice as this, and I gotta say…" she rolled her shoulders back into the bed, stretching out across the mattress as she buried herself into the plush bedding, "I feel this life _really_ suits me. How about we just stay here for the four weeks and blow off seeing my dad altogether? I could get used to staying in a place like this." As Petra continued to burrow further into the plush blankets, the Captain watched her for a long moment, amused by her obvious enjoyment of their…. admittedly_ nice_ surroundings.

"Right." he gave her a passing glance and shook his head, "Sorry to burst your bubble Petra, but you couldn't afford it."

She gave a laugh and looked over toward him in challenge, "Oh right, and like you_ could?"_

When Levi merely held her gaze and shrugged, the smallest of smirks coming to his lips as he watched her, because while he would neither confirm nor deny her statement, _of course_ _he could_, and Petra's mouth dropped open as she groaned loudly, "Damn it Captain, for real? Gods, I need a raise!"

Levi gave a dry laugh at her reaction and looked back into his brochure as he mumbled warmly, "Well. All in good time, Petra."

He focused back into the menu, looking it over and attempting to decide what he wanted to order, and Petra's almost mystified question grabbed his attention after a prolonged and building silence.

"…Captain, what did you say?"

Levi allowed his expression to turn intentionally pensive as he looked into the paper with a newly focused expression, conveniently avoiding Petra's increasingly direct stare, "You know, I'm pretty hungry after riding all day. We didn't stop for lunch and I'm starting to regret it. I think I'm going to put an order in – their stuff is usually pretty good here."

As the Captain made a point of 'not seeing' her, Petra sat back up onto the bed as she prepared to crawl over toward him, and she watched him with a hint of a growing and hopeful smile, leaning toward him all the more as she attempted to catch his eye more directly, "Captain, you_ said_ that I'm getting a raise? For real?"

"You know, I actually had their chicken penne the last time I was here. I'm not really a fan of traditional pasta dishes, but I'll admit it was pretty good. I think Erwin had the house soup in a bread bowl, or something like that? It looked pretty good so I may go with that this time around. You should think about what you want to order, I know you're hungry too."

"Levi – my raise!" Petra whined as she moved toward him directly, an excited smile on her lips as she tried to pry the information out of him, "Come on, do you know how much? Has that been sent back to you yet? You know, assuming I made no changes and stayed on your squad for the next year I mean – has that all been calculated out? It's got to be, otherwise you wouldn't be taunting me like this! Come on, tell me! It's not something piddly right? It can't be. No doubt you'd bring it up like this if it were an insulting amount that would only upset me. Is it a five percent raise? Eight percent? Somewhere between there, maybe? More? Like…._ten percent_? There's no way."

As Petra continued to inch herself closer and closer toward the Ackerman who was suddenly_ very_ interested in the pamphlet he was busying himself with, Petra found herself all but crawling right in front of him, slowly and deliberately peering up over the edge of the paper to stare down at him.

"Captain…" She plucked the paper out of his hand with a quick swipe, giving an amused roll of her eyes when Levi smirked at her in amusement because he was obviously toying with her, "Is there something you're not telling me? Come on! No one's going to know if you tell me early so what's the harm? I swear I'll act surprised later."

He gave a shake of his head and held up his hands in surrender as Petra crossed her arms expectantly, as though she were prepared to sit there all night if it came down to it, and Levi sighed in defeat, "Alright, alright woman. If you _must _know..."

Petra beamed and scooched toward him ever so slightly, and Levi gave a long-suffering sigh as he watched her with a more serious stare, taking a full breath before finally speaking, "Hanji once told me that their chocolate cake was to die for."

Petra scoffed as a disbelieving groan left her, "What, no! Captain! That's not-" Petra paused midsentence and blinked, her expression changing as she mentally replayed his words, "Wait, are you serious? Did she _really_ say that?"

Levi gave an honest nod, barely able to bite back a smirk as he motioned toward the paper with a casual tilt of his head, "Yes, actually. Details are on the back page, if you wanted to take a look for yourself. I distinctly remember Hanji saying it was the best cake she had ever had in her life, and I _know_ because she continued to talk about it for twenty minutes straight and after that I told her to shut the hell up because no one actually cared."

Petra eyed him narrowly, knowing full well what he was up to, but even still, she simply couldn't deny her perked interest after the mention of a certain weakness of hers. She was perhaps feeling a little on the indulgent side considering they were officially on vacation, so maybe such a splurge of pure decadence was in order after all she had been through during the past few months. She read over the description of a rather luxurious sounding, triple layered chocolate mousse cake, and before she could so much as comment, there was an amused snort from the Captain, who had watched her eyes light up all the more with every word she read.

Using her momentary distraction to his advantage, Levi stood up from the bed and spoke over his shoulder as he walked toward the desk at the other end of the room, "Oi, I'll go ahead and place that on the order for you, but take a look at the rest of the menu because you're not eating a mere slice of cake for dinner."

Petra grumbled, noting begrudgingly that Levi had managed to _successfully _slide away so easily, and the Captain's expression sobered as he gave her a serious nod, "What do you want?"

Petra gave him a narrowed gaze that confirmed she wasn't pleased by his bait and switch routine, but flipped through the pages none the less with focus and resolve, because yes, she was also quite hungry after a full day of riding. Eventually she set the pamphlet down and allowed herself to fall back into the bed again, "The chicken dish is fine with me. Whatever you got that last time is fine, I trust your judgment."

As Levi quietly wrote down the details of their order and placed it outside the door as requested, Petra waited until she heard the door close and she spoke, "So I know that maybe this should be a question that I actually have the answer to, all things considered, but to be honest with you I'm just kind of winging this whole thing so…what are these next four weeks actually going to look like? I know that the goal is for me to get home and make peace with my father, but I want to make sure that I'm not just jerking you around and telling you where to go each day. Do you have any plans, Captain?"

With where Petra was laying on the bed, looking up at the ceiling as she spoke, she could hear Levi move back across the room and the eventual shifting of furniture – he had likely taken a seat on one of the ornate chairs that were placed in almost every corner of the room – and he responded, "Not technically. Obviously tonight, and the next two evenings we'll be on the road. That fourth night I assume we'll be back at your dad's place and getting settled in there, but if the traveling goes slower than anticipated, we can just find a hotel along the way and get there the following morning or whatever."

There was a slight creaking, likely Levi repositioning himself or something, and after a moment he continued, "Either way once we get to your old man's place we can stay there however long you see fit. Obviously, we'll need to leave ourselves enough time to travel back to Headquarters, but like Erwin predicted, I'm guessing we'll be there a little over two and a half weeks, give or take."

Petra gave a quiet nod, and Levi spoke further, "While I don't have any technical plans, I should make you aware from the start that I don't really intend on just sitting at your dad's house with nothing to do other than watch paint dry for weeks on end. Considering we have an Expedition coming up, I need to keep my skills sharp, and there's also your ankle to consider. If at all possible, I would like to start training _you_ back up while we're there, and as for my _personal _training, Erwin worked something out with Pixis before we left."

"Pixis? For _your _training?" Petra repeated in question, turning her head toward the direction of Levi's voice, and catching her questioning stare, Levi nodded.

"Yeah. The Garrison apparently has an outpost stationed not too far from your dad's place – apparently like five or so miles outside the city, and so I'll plan on going there pretty frequently to train. I don't want you to get the wrong idea, I am on vacation so I'll never be _required_ to go. If things come up where I'm needed at the house or we're going out as a group or whatever, it won't be a problem. It's just for the days where we aren't doing anything, or where time is better spent between you and your father without my getting involved, there's a place I can be that has the resources and tools I need for me to keep loose and stay focused. Vacation or not, I can't really afford to sit idle for four straight weeks."

At the mention of having some bit of access to military resources, Petra's eyes lit up and a small smile painted her lips, "You know Captain, if we are trying to start that rehabilitation process…it's been a long time since I've gotten to use my 3DM gear. Any shot I might be able to join you, even if it's just once, while you're training over there? At the very least, it would be cool to see how the Garrison runs their troops differently than the Scouts do. I think I'd rather enjoy seeing that in fact."

Levi gave her a flat, blank expression and shook his head, "Sorry, but no. You clearly aren't ready for that kind of strain just yet, and what's more, Erwin specifically requested that I not allow you to step foot on their grounds because he doesn't want anyone to approach you or start making deals or job offers without his say so."

Petra made a face, as though to quietly say that Erwin was being a little _too_ cautious on that front, and Levi smirked at her innocence at what was in fact a rather sound judgment call, "Think what you will, but with the fact I'll be using their facilities, the Garrison's leadership knows full well that you'll also be around, and I wouldn't put it past Pixis to try and talk to you about some 'future exciting career opportunities' the second that they have you alone. Not that it matters, but part of the arrangement is that they'll want me to lead some training regarding how to implement your material, in exchange for the frequent use of their grounds; nothing comes for free after all. Either way, you step foot on their campus, and you can bet they'll put you to immediate use, considering the whole thing's been your little pet project from the start."

Petra gave an unsatisfied, but accepting nod, and eventually as a silence came over the room, she sat up from the bed and gave him a long stare from where he was seated, "Alright, well if anything really jumps out at you, or maybe something comes up that you want to do, don't feel like you can't say anything or that you'll hurt my feelings if you want to go and do your own thing for a few days or whatever. Eld reminded me this morning that, while yes, this _is_ all a huge favor to me and I really, honestly appreciate your being here, the fact of the matter is this is your vacation just as much as it is mine. I want to respect that fact and make sure that…maybe you still have a decent time, I guess. Family drama or not, how often do either of us get to do things like this?" she motioned around the room with a wave of her hand, and her expression softened as she looked toward Levi more completely with a shy smile, "I'm honestly_ really_ looking forward to spending some time with you, Captain. I'm so happy you decided to come home with me."

Hearing her words, Levi kept his expression relatively blank and instead stood up from his chair as he moved to stand in front of her directly. His voice was soft as he watched her with a single raised brow, "Speaking of this morning Petra, that was quite a stunt you pulled, don't you think? Slamming me up against the wall and forcing yourself on me in front of the whole squad - Such a shameless woman."

Petra found her heart giving a nervous thump inside of her chest, but regardless her perhaps admitted nervousness, she found a small smirk pulling at her lips as she remembered Levi _blushing_ so heavily, remembered the look across his face of pure shock, the way he had been so completely speechless, to where she had just walked out with her team because it was obvious he needed a moment to collect himself.

Levi looked down at her, his expression falling to something a little more pensive, and he took a breath, "You mentioned Eld a bit ago, and I happen to know full well that he has the uncanny ability to mess with your head at the worst of times. I'm pretty confident that your little assault was nothing more than Eld manipulating you again, and you've got me curious as to what nonsense he filled your head with because that was really something. You gonna tell me what he told you?"

Petra smiled at his insightful words, somehow not surprised to hear that Levi had connected the dots, and she looked up toward him with a sigh, "What Eld said to me while you were all packing up over coffee? Not much Captain. Just…just that you're a good man. Nothing I didn't already know."

The Captain's eyes narrowed in disbelief, not sure what Eld might have said to her, but certain that Petra was purposefully glossing over the details. Seeing his expression, she rolled her eyes and shrugged, "Listen Captain, regarding Eld this morning - I think you should know that I don't feel manipulated, I feel more…compassionate, I suppose. And I know that makes it sound worse, or that I'm pitying you – but don't take it like that. All Eld really did this morning was give me the needed reminder that just because things aren't happening the way I would expect them to, where our relationship doesn't look any specific way I would have envisioned…well, it doesn't mean it's not happening at all. I _know_ you care for me, in whatever way that looks like to you, and I want to tell you now that…that I know I need to be careful in my expectations of what our arrangement should look like. I can't make you feel, nor_ express_ things, how I want. It seems obvious when I say it out loud, but sometimes, I kind of honestly forget that, so to some extent I owe you an apology."

Her expression turned more reflective and she looked down into the floor, shaking her head as she spoke, "To make you feel less than, or inadequate because of my own expectations…frankly, that's just sheer manipulation when you get right down to it. I've never really been the manipulative type in the first place – honestly I'm not even sure _how_ to go about trying to manipulate someone like you anyway – but assuming I even _could_ do such a thing intentionally…please understand that's not what I'm after here. Whether we're friends, or lovers, married only on paper, or somewhere in between – at this point what matters most to me; I'll only want it, if it's sincere."

Levi's expression was equally serious as he mentally accepted her words and graciousness, and a long silence fell between them. Eventually, Petra looked back toward him simply, and Levi took a breath, "The letters. Tell me Petra, are you still mad at me?"

Petra was still sitting at the edge of the bed, blinking at his sudden and straightforward question and she gave a quick, defensive shake of her head as he continued to watch her expectantly, "Mad? I wouldn't say _mad_ Captain, I'm really over-" she looked up and saw his wordless, 'bullshit.' expression, and she hung her head in dismay, "Maybe a little. It's just…in a strange way, I felt that I had been sold out I guess. Job or not, it's irritating that you got to know so much about me; things I honestly had_ no_ intention of saying to you just yet, with no way of me explaining or adjusting my words for a better, less intense approach because you had already read everything so my hands were tied. I don't want to overwhelm you, or be weird or clingy, or be viewed as a mere fan girl no less. Had I chosen the time or place; I hope you know I would have done things pretty differently."

She took a large breath and almost whispered, "If you pressed me, I think what I'm worried about most of all is that maybe…I might have scared you off. Reading things like that, I'm sure it was bordering that line of being _too _intense, and I'm not really sure how I am supposed to recover at this point. I've always tried very hard to not push you or assume you feel one way or another. I know you don't want a relationship or to be tied down and forced to settle or whatever, and I just…it's not that I want that for you either, but I just…"

Another long silence fell over the pair, and when it became clear that even Petra herself was at a loss for words, Levi sighed, "Okay, so help me understand - are you trying to say that you're afraid that I might…distance myself from you or something, because now I know how you feel? You realize I've known for a while now, right? If that were true, you would have seen that already taking place two months ago."

She gave a shrug, somewhat refusing to look at him, and she mumbled, "I'm not saying I'm right, or that it's not a direct result of my own insecurities. I'm just telling you…that that's what I'm afraid of, yes. You know I don't think that I'm…well,_ enough_ for you, and after reading everything I said to my father, I'm afraid you're going to realize that being with me is…settling. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but eventually you'll wake up and remember that you never really wanted this in the first place. Now granted, if that's what happens then I'll make the best of it. I mean, I'll have to right? I'm an adult and I've seen heartbreak before so…"

Levi watched her for a long moment, surprised to hear such words from Petra, surprised to know that his own feelings of being insufficient were apparently shared mutually between them, and he sighed because like always, it seemed Petra was vastly unaware of her own worth.

"You don't have to worry about that. If anything, Petra…" He took a breath and looked to one side, somewhat intentionally looking away from her because he didn't want her expression to derail his thoughts, "Regarding what you said about, you know, the way you felt about me specifically, and the way you felt about our marriage..."

He heard her shift on the bed slightly, and he continued in a focused and serious whisper, "I'm not sorry for following orders. You know full well that there are things that come with the job that you may not always agree with, and that much _isn't_ going to change. What's more, I couldn't have ever known that you were planning on saying such things to your father in any of those letters, so it's not like I was_ looking _to dig into your personal life or anything."

Levi licked his lips and tried to collect his thoughts, "But still. Even if it was unfair, or even if you didn't want me to know – fact of the matter is, I do. The letters spelled it out word for word, and you confirmed it verbally in that conversation we had right after. I _know_ that you care about me, and that you want a relationship with me, and that things have changed between us where it's impossible to just ignore it anymore. I know you want to be my wife, for real, and that you want to have a future by my side."

At his words, Petra had stiffened, feeling as though her blood had stopped pumping through her veins because for Levi to say it out loud, to address it head on like this – she was nervous. Beyond nervous. They needed to have this conversation, she knew that, and she herself had called him out only days before for not having the guts to sit down and talk with her like this. She had spoken so confidently then, certain that if Levi would open up to her it would make things better for the both of them, but now that the moment was here, she admittedly felt like running away.

What if he was about to tell her that he couldn't return her feelings? Or that he just 'wanted to stay friends' or something cliché like that? Some part of her was afraid, almost too afraid to hear his words, because she had always known that he was unobtainable; that he was in a league of his own that had always been, and _would_ always be far out of her reach.

To be_ rejected_ by Levi…

Now, after all this time…

Petra knew doubtlessly that it would break her heart – _shatter_ it beyond repair – in a way she had never experienced before, and she found herself stuttering as she knotted the blanket in her hands. Yes, she had lived through some hard things, some _very_ hard things, so she knew she could handle being alone if it came down to it. It was just…

She just didn't want Levi to see her fall apart – to see the_ extent_ of her heartbreak after getting in too deep.

She tried to keep her voice light, and mentally cursed the tremble in her voice as she continued fisting the blanket in her hands nervously, "We don't need to do this right now Levi, I'll be alri-"

"Petra." Levi cut her off irritably, leaning down slightly to place a finger over her lips because sometimes…she just talked too damn much.

He looked at her seriously, uncertain why there were tears in her eyes because surely he hadn't said anything that warranted such a reaction, and he returned her wide-eyed stare flatly, "Being with you, spending time with you and learning you; I don't hate it."

As her expression changed, Levi watched the sudden intensity building in her green orbs and he continued, "I know that we haven't really sat down like this before and just talked it out – and to your point, I should have said something but…" he shook his head and watched her critically, "You can't tell me you're naïve enough to not notice that I _have_ chased after you, and returned your affection, and attention and-"

Levi swallowed thickly, feeling as though his words were literally getting stuck in his throat, and he took another large breath and exhaled in temporary defeat. He stared at her for a long moment, tracing his fingers down the side of her face, then back up as he found himself weaving his hand through her hair gently.

Fuck, she was so damn beautiful.

It was baffling to him, and it always would be, what the hell she saw in someone like him.

He leaned closer toward her, just enough to make direct eye contact and he held her gaze with conviction, "Petra, there may be a lot that I don't know concerning how to make a relationship work between us, and a lot of _valid_ questions that you have that I still don't know the answer to but…I do know this: I want you by my side. If it makes you happy; if being close to me means something to you and you found that you _want_ to be there, then shit, by all means you can-"

His words ended abruptly yet again, but this time, it was because of Petra. She had sat up just slightly from the bed, and pressed her lips against his with a light and ardent touch, her hands already around his neck as she sat back into the bed and pulled him lower toward her with the lightest pull of her fingers.

With her lips tenderly, ever so gently pressing against his, Levi could only lean forward into her, entranced thoroughly by her gentle actions and desperate for her kiss because after their schedules had been so opposing for so long, after upsetting her and causing her even more pain – his body craved her acceptance; some part of him needing to feel her forgiveness and touch all around him because he felt as though he failed her so often, felt that she was too fucking good for him. It's not that he doubted her sincerity, but to feel her like this, to have her in his arms and see her desire him so simply after spending so much time apart; he supposed it gave him some desperately needed reassurance.

He returned her kiss with a relieved and desperate sigh, and after a few tender and hesitant kisses shared between them, Petra moved slowly back down toward the bed, until she was sitting in her previous position. However, much to Levi's surprise, she didn't stop there. Petra continued to gently lean back all the more, beckoning him to follow after her as her fingers pulled at the collar of his shirt – an invisible bond that may as well have been a heavy and weighted chain between them, for it was just as strong and binding. As she summoned him to follow, her other hand against the side of his face as she lengthened her neck to kiss him more fully, she encouraged his obedience with deeper, more sensual kisses. She opened her mouth to allow him greater access, only enticing him all the more as he adjusted his position and leaned down toward her. He pulled a single knee up onto the bed as he followed after her, struggling to meet her gentle and feather light kiss that was gradually retreating away inch by inch even now. When that wasn't enough, the angle between them strained and difficult as Petra fell back into the bed completely, his other leg soon followed, and he continued to place himself closer toward her until he was straddling her outright. His knees were framing the sides of her hips, locking her in place, his one hand over the surface of the bed near her shoulder, and the other was wrapped around the back of her neck as though fearing she would continue to pull away from him even now.

He pressed his lips against hers more firmly, leaning down all the more until his chest was pressed up against hers, somewhat pushing her down into the bed with his frame and giving a number of light, flurried kisses over her lips because gods, he just couldn't help himself.

It was only when she stopped returning his kiss, that Levi opened his eyes in concern, admittedly greatly enjoying himself and not wanting this moment to come to an end so soon, because fuck she knew how to get to him so easily, but the breath caught in his lungs once he noticed the expression Petra was watching him with. Her lips were parted, a blush over her cheeks from their intimate placement; her laying down, intentionally relaxed across the bed in a submissive, trusting fashion, where he was positioned right on top of her, his own body up against hers as he leaned down to meet her kiss with earnest and desire. Before he could so much as take a breath, Petra gave him a beautiful, shy smile.

"I've _missed_ you, Levi." She said in a whisper, her breath caressing his face as she spoke, for they were that close. "I've missed talking to you like this, and hearing your thoughts, and getting to live my life alongside yours. I've missed _this _too. I miss feeling your touch, and feeling the way you kiss me. Gods, you're so fucking _good _at it." He didn't say anything, though there was a mischievous glint in his eyes that confirmed he clearly enjoyed her praise, and Petra continued, "I know the military comes first, and I can't say I regret what happened last month, but it doesn't change the fact that…I'm just much happier with you. I don't like it when we're far away for so long. It's hard."

Levi found that he understood her words perfectly, because he was in the same position, in the same relationship, where the strain and pull was felt by both of them and the distance only heightened the agitation felt between them. He gave her a single nod, a lopsided smile coming to his lips, and Petra smiled all the more, pushing her neck up slightly and kissing him again with a sincerity and gentleness that continued to calm his nerves like a healing balm to his very spirit. Her actions, the way she kissed him – Levi knew full well that this was not the right time for him to try and lay claim to her; to kiss her with a sudden intensity and let his hands fall where they may as he attempted to create an opportunity between them, simply because they were finally alone and together like this.

Levi found that as she kissed him, her gentle and innocent actions repetitively calmed his anxious nerves like whispering waves caressing a shoreline, and he was perfectly content to accept this moment for what it was. In truth, he knew he could have her whenever he wanted. Petra would allow him to be with her, he simply knew it to be true, if only because she cared for him and would see no reason to withhold such a thing from him any longer.

He would have her, and soon. Perhaps this very night, or some other time on their trip, or maybe not until they were back at Headquarters and their lives returned to normal. He couldn't be certain of when the moment might feel right for them, but at the very least, he knew…not _this_ moment, because it was already too good and too special to mess up with something like impatience or greed. No, Petra was choosing to forgive him after he had hurt her yet again, choosing to open herself up and remain vulnerable to him in a time where she had every right to distance herself from him instead. Her forgiveness, her kindness, every little thing that touched his heart and made him dare to be a better man for her, it was thrilling and intoxicating, often leaving him breathless and terrified all at once.

Every little spark, every shy glance and tender moment - all brand new for him. All his moments with Petra – they were all new and special because he had never_ had_ someone to call his own before. It was strange, but being with Petra these last few months, it almost reminded him of his final moments just before his very first expedition outside of the Walls.

He had felt drastically unprepared. Anxiousness heavy enough to suffocate. Innumerable Questions. Endless Doubt. Heated moments of desperation, anger; all out panic because of the unknown.

And then…freedom. Freedom so vast it was like he was unraveling because there was finally _room_ to do so. Freedom he somewhat knew he had always been _meant _to feel, but had never quite been able to grasp onto, no, not until it had been forced upon him as though by fate itself.

As Petra gave a light sound, a sweet and delicate exhale that matched her equally sweet and delicate affections, Levi couldn't help the smile that pulled at his lips, because he supposed…well, it was rather fucking ironic.

The experience. The adventure and the unknown.

Yes, he had loved every second of it back then too.

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End of Chapter

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...

Man, not sure what I can or should say here. It's just a good moment.

As always guys, thanks so very much for your support in just…everything. I have grown so much as a writer in the past year, and so many people have been cheering me on and it's just very touching. Happy Sunday, and for those follow Vetitian, I'll see you on Wednesday! Thanks guys :D

~Mid


	59. The One Where Levi Reflects

Okay yall, I know you're here for this story, of course, but *miserable sigh* for my Vetitian readers who were promised a Wednesday update and are still waiting, yall, I am so, so sorry. I haven't missed an update in literally over a year, so I hope you can understand that it wasn't at all done on purpose. I'm usually pretty good about gauging when my material will be post ready, but without getting too much into it, Vetitian is actually giving me a run for my money. I have officially decided it will be a three shot, and chapter two is almost ready to go, but not quite. Meaning that yes, honest to goodness, this Wednesday chapter two will be up, for real this time.

I feel so terrible, and I'm so sorry to have not delivered, but again, this piece is just something else and its sorta stilling my hand.

But. Enough on that one, because we've got THIS story to review, so om that note, happy Sunday, and happy mothers day! Yall enjoy!

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Levi wasn't sure how long they had been like that, him hovering directly over her petite frame, exchanging kisses and sighs and gentle caresses as they made up for lost time – it couldn't have been that long, maybe only five or ten minutes at best – but when a knock was heard on the door, both of them froze in place, and eventually Levi sighed, his lips still moving against hers, ever so slightly as he spoke.

"It's one of the bellhops." He murmured against her lips, "They usually confirm the order before putting it in."

Petra gave a small, gentle laugh at the obvious irritation across his face that he probably thought wasn't there. She gave him a nod toward the door, letting her fingers trace down his neck as she spoke, "Figures. As much as I miss this, you should probably go confirm it. I'm pretty hungry, and what's more, I was hoping to go soak in the tub for a bit before the food gets here, if that's okay. I'm not trying to be a baby about my ankle but-"

Levi shook his head as he sat up more fully, resting back into his knees as he spoke, "No, I know it's been bothering you. You were limping earlier."

She groaned and allowed her head to fall back into the mattress with a defeated plop, "Really? Ugh, I was hoping that-" Her words were cut off with another knock, and she gave a quiet laugh as Levi rolled his eyes and shot a waspish glare toward the door, "Well Captain, certainly persistent aren't they?"

"Kid just wants a tip is all. This place is nice, but their staff is greedy. Even still, I probably shouldn't keep them waiting much longer. They won't put the order in until it's confirmed, and if the bellhop leaves, they probably won't try again for at least an hour."

Levi shifted again, preparing to move off the bed and away from Petra, and he looked down at her with a somewhat amused, somewhat disappointed expression, pausing in place for an extended moment and hesitant to move away. On sudden impulse, he took a breath, moving back toward her with an aggressive lean of his body and kissing her fiercely, pressing her right back into the bed - thrilled when Petra gave a surprised sort of yelp, and all but melting into his hold and angling her head to deepen the kiss as she moaned into his mouth with a pleased exhale of contentment. As he kissed her, he could feel a bubbling smile pull at her lips because…he had taken her by _surprise_, he realized, and what was more….she had liked it.

Very much so.

He decided at once that he also perhaps rather…liked surprising her.

Levi knew he couldn't linger, he only had a handful of seconds to work with, but that would be enough. Some part of him wanted to make a point of his own, now that he had her complete attention. He wanted to remind her exactly _how _he could kiss her, remind her_ why_ she sought after his complete attention, his unique touch, like this. Petra whimpered against his lips, her arms winding around his back in abandon, then down to the bottoms of where his shirt met his pants, and Levi gave a low, pleased hum when he felt Petra's hands dip beneath the light fabric of his shirt, her palms and fingertips tracing up his sides in a single caress that caused his muscles to ripple and flex at the light sensation.

Another knock.

"Sir or ma'am? We have your order here and would like to review the details? It will only take a moment."

Levi gave a groan and Petra sighed, pulling her arms away from him in defeat and giving a wave toward the door. Levi couldn't help the smirk the pulled at his lips, admittedly amused by Petra's obvious disappointment and apparent pouting. He moved off the bed and moved toward the door, pleased and perhaps a little smug after seeing how easily he could get a rise out of her, because yes he wanted her, but Petra, well...

Such a behaved, disciplined woman – in truth there were times she was hard to read because even though he _knew_ the desire was there, it was rare that she ever_ expressed_ it, especially now that her medicine had long since become a thing of the past. Since then, the distance between them had been undeniable. Throughout the month, he had never really caught her staring, she didn't seem to struggle with her attraction versus her responsibilities; as though she could so easily ignore their chemistry outright. As her _Commanding Officer_, he expected no less from his subordinates and was pleased by her self-control.

And yet, as her husband, he supposed that maybe it wouldn't be so bad if she slipped up, just every once in a while. In truth, he very much liked the idea of a distracted Petra, sitting perhaps in Erwin's office or discussing probabilities with Hanji, being asked a sudden question and having to bring herself back into focus with a dazed 'Hm?' because her mind had been focused on him instead. He imagined she would blush, quickly shuffle some papers around in attempts to resort her thoughts, and try to pretend that she _hadn't _been thinking about him; his touch and his kiss and how much she wanted to be near him after spending multiple weeks apart.

And if she _did_ think about him, what did she think about? Was it just thoughts, or did she perhaps ever_ act_ on it? Was it possible that Petra had perhaps been alone in her room, thinking of him and allowing her fingers to roam over her body, thinking of his touch and breathing heavily into the night air as she allowed her mind to run wild and fantasize about being with him?

Fuck, he certainly wouldn't mind believing such a thing.

Realizing that now _he_ was the distracted one, he felt some of his smugness turn to something a little less arrogant, and he decided to put the matter behind him, because comparing his _own_ measure of discipline to someone like Petra – he knew full well that he'd loose that battle every time.

He opened the door and conversed with the bellhop for a few minutes, confirming that yes, what he wrote down was in fact what he wanted – thus the point of him writing it down in the first place – and from behind him, he could hear the sound of the bathwater running as Petra moved around the room and gathered her things.

After confirming the details of the order, giving yet another tip to the greedy staff member who promised they'd get their order placed as quickly as possible, Levi closed the door with a sigh, moving back into the main part of the room and watching with a sense of contentment as Petra continued to move around the area, coming out of the closet with a bundle of clothes and a small overnight bag in her arms. Though she was trying to hide it, no doubt a result of her pride, it didn't escape his notice that her steps were favoring her injured ankle even now. Like the doctor had predicted, riding for a full day had agitated her ankle, to the extent that just walking across the room was clearly difficult for her.

A comfortable silence fell across the room as Petra gathered her things, the silence only being broken by the sound of the running water, and eventually, Levi leaned against the wall with a slight exhale, still continuing to watch her as she made further preparations for her bath. She moved to one of the dressers, setting the bag down onto the surface and grabbing out her hairbrush with a sigh of preparation. Levi watched with light interest as she leaned her head to one side ever so slightly, pulling her hair to the side and beginning to brush it out gently, starting from the ends first with the lightest pull of her wrist, and then slowly working her way up to untangle any frays or knots that had been created in their travels.

There was an odd intimacy in the detail – something Levi wouldn't have expected – as he watched her carefully brush through her hair so simply, paying him no mind as she began to hum quietly to herself in a carefree manner. He wasn't sure what he found to be so alluring in her actions; it certainly wasn't anything she was doing to attract him, nothing more than a daily task of self-care, and yet he found himself walking toward her just the same.

It was only when he walked just behind her, his hand cresting up her forearm until finally reaching her hand, that Petra seemed to stall in place, pausing from her previous brushing and quiet tune, curious as to what her Captain might be up to and barely fighting off the urge to turn around and face him.

From behind her, Levi moved to grab the hairbrush out of her hands; easily pulling it from her as she offered no resistance – seemingly mystified by his actions.

"Let me." He stated softly, and Petra gave a nervous, shallow nod, dropping her hands to her side and nervously fiddling with the ends of her shirt as she felt Levi raise his hands toward her hair, pulling her hair behind her so he could brush it out more easily.

Levi held her hairbrush simply, allowing his fingers to trace through her hair for a moment, lightly sorting through her amber strands for any larger tangles, then carefully following with her hairbrush as he continued in the simple task and brushed through her amber strands bit by bit.

"Your hair's been getting longer." He stated after a few moments, pulling a single lock of hair between his fingers and tracing his fingertips down to the ends - ends that reached not to the bottom of her chin like he had seen for years now, but rather just below her shoulders. He continued to fiddle with a lock of her hair, speaking as he did so, "You trying to grow it out or something? I don't think I've ever seen you with long hair like this before."

"Oh, well uh, it seems that way. Does it look bad like this?"

When he didn't respond right away, Petra found herself stealing a glance over her shoulder nervously, feeling her heart pound nervously at the way her Captain's gaze was focused so intently on her – his eyes narrowed in a surveying fashion as he continued to comb through her locks, clearly transfixed and focused so completely on the task, and it was only when Levi caught her stare that he seemed to redirect his attention back to their conversation, and he shook his head.

"No."

After a moment, Levi looked back toward her, again running the brush through her hair as he spoke, "That look on your face, am I making you nervous?"

"A little." She admitted honestly, knowing full well that she was blushing and there would be nothing that could be done about it. It was strange – she found that while she wanted Levi's attention, wanted to catch his eye and truly was looking forward to spending so much time with him – at times like this, without him even trying, it was almost too intense, too much for her to handle. A single touch, a glance, sometimes the smallest of things felt overwhelming and surprisingly intimate because she knew full well that she was seeing a side of Levi that no one else ever had before.

Even now, she wasn't certain what to make of the event or how she should feel about the fact that Levi – Humanity's Strongest – was spending his time just…brushing her hair, with such a gentleness and carefulness that it made her mind start to wander because the man who had slain Titans, the man who was feared and respected and sought after for his strength and tactical brilliance, had such a _delicate_ touch.

How was it possible that the Captain she had seen on the battlefield, ruthless and bloodthirsty to such an extent that his rage was truly fearsome, could also be here beside her, choosing to do something so mundane and ordinary simply because he could? What was more, she knew the look in his eye, his transfixed gaze and his content expression, he was actually _enjoying_ the task.

Levi…it was obvious that there was still so much she didn't know about him. There was a lot she knew he wasn't _ready_ to tell her – and maybe a lot he never _would_ tell her, no matter how many years they spent by each other's sides.

Not wanting to allow her thoughts to get too carried away, fearful that she might say something ridiculous, she gave a casual laugh, also pulling at a lock of hair and surveying it as she spoke, "Honestly Captain, I do prefer to keep my hair shorter. It's easier to work with and I don't have to spend so much time fussing about it. I would have cut it already, but ever since the gas shortage really took effect, I just kept forgetting. These past few months have been crazy. First all the data mining in your office, and then you were gone at the collaboration, and then the whole thing with Erwin happened, and then my ankle. Since then it's been nothing but paperwork and recovery, where my hair has been the least of my worries. When we get back though, back home at the base, I think I'll cut it then."

Levi nodded, setting her hairbrush down on the dresser and gently running his fingers through her tidy auburn strands in a final sort of caress. His words came to him slowly, as his fingers traced down her back lightly, then over the sides of her hips as he lightly grabbed the bottom hem of her shirt, his voice quiet as he spoke in sudden resolve and curiosity.

"Petra, your side, with your recovery and everything – I know your stitches came off a while ago, and I know you've mostly healed up but I'm just…" as he spoke, he pulled at the ends of her shirt, ever so slightly upward, hoping she would get the hint on her own without him having to say it outright, because he wasn't sure how to say the right words and _not_ have it come out sounding like something different entirely.

A sort of silence hung over the room, and he watched as a blush spread over the back of her neck and over her shoulders, proving that she _understood_ his request, although regardless her obvious embarrassment, even still, Petra took a nervous inhale and raised her arms upward for him. Levi gave a light, almost imperceptible nod of thanks, simultaneously moving the fabric up from around her; being careful to not touch or brush her inappropriately in the process because that really wasn't the point.

As Petra pulled her arms out of the sleeves, still facing forward but stealing a glance over her shoulder toward him, he nodded toward the shirt in her hands, "Hold onto that." When he popped the clasp of her bra from off around her in the next moment, Petra gasped in initial surprise, her eyes going wide, and Levi gave an amused exhale at her apparent shyness, at the way she suddenly refused to meet his gaze as he pulled the fabric off from around her back, "Sorry. It's a little in the way."

As he spoke, he moved his hands over her shoulders carefully, pushing the straps off her shoulders, and as the blush continued to grow deeper across the back of her neck, Petra lightly grabbed the garment from off around her and shook her head, unfolding her wadded up shirt and aligning the fabric across her chest intentionally.

She looked over her shoulder, still refusing to meet his gaze as she stared off into the corner of the room instead, "It's fine, Captain."

With that, he nodded and moved ever so slightly, encouraging her to turn so that he could look at her bare side more directly. His eyes met hers for only a moment, and then he kneeled down toward the ground, crouched into one leg as he took a closer look at her, his eyes narrowed critically because for him, the last time he had seen her once injured side so up close like this, it was way back when her stitches had gotten removed, almost four weeks ago now.

He remembered having been so worried, being apart from her, having once believed that he would be at her side for the full six weeks, likely being a pain in the ass every step of the way because Petra was so hellbent on caring for others that she often forgot to take care of herself. He would nag her and likely get frustrated by her nonchalant attitude; the unnecessary bravery she would carry herself with because she always tried so desperately to impress him at the worst of times.

He knew she didn't _need_ him, but the fact that she had gone through it alone – taking care of her injuries, all while working even harder than she normally did on a daily basis due to the demands of the military, he felt a strange mix of pride, awe, jealousy for her discipline and time management, and sheer guilt, because fact of the matter was, in her time of need, even Hanji and Erwin had been more available than him.

His fingers traced down her pale skin, earning a sharp gasp from Petra, although she remained still as he continued mapping out her injuries by memory. There had been such deep bruising; patches of blacks and purples, sections of serrated skin that had been scraped away, line after line of jagged scratches that had bled straight through her clothes and felt damp, hot, and sticky in his fingers that day. He remembered all her stitches – fuck, there had been so many of them, and it seemed like there was so very little of her right side that hadn't been _forced_ back into place by the medical team.

And yet, as he looked his wife over now, his mouth parted slightly from admitted surprise and wistfulness because…it was all just skin.

The bruising was gone, the stitches long removed. Her pale skin was soft and warm, like the rest of her, and the only traces of her injury were faint white lines – the last of her more gruesome cuts – that had turned into thin and delicate scars that would likely continue to fade away all the more with time.

The contrast, of what he had once seen, to the state she was in now, was a stark difference, and he found himself staring into her alabaster skin with a disbelieving shake of his head, eyes narrowed as he spoke, "Petra, I should have been there. I'm sorry."

His words were simple, but spoken with such a tangible regret that Petra couldn't help the frown that came to her lips, "Captain, you were there. At every doctor's appointment, you found a way to make time, when and if you could. And sure, maybe recovery was less than ideal and there were moments that I…well, really missed you but…it's okay. I'm not mad or upset, and if it matters, I don't feel you let me down or that you, I don't know, weren't doing your 'part' or whatever."

Levi mentally, begrudgingly tried to accept her words, his hands moving toward her hips and turning her more directly toward him so he could meet her gaze, "It just bothers me, a lot, because I feel I finally had the opportunity to pay you back a little for how devoted and intentional you are around me. I'm not really worthy of all that attention; I know that I screw up a lot and that I hurt your feelings without meaning to - maybe it's a shitty thing to say, but I was looking forward to it, because it was something easy and attainable that I _could_ do for you – you know, something that a husband is supposed to do or whatever. I could stand by your side, help you clean up, make sure you did all your rehab exercises or whatever – and you would have known that I was doing it because of our relationship, more than the fact that I was your Commanding Officer."

Levi gave a sigh, looking down at her stomach, his hands still brushing over her side wistfully as he spoke, "I'm not looking for pity or to manipulate your emotions, but there are times that I simply don't know how to pay you back for everything you do for me. I know I'm supposed to try, but in terms of practical application, it's easier said than done I guess."

Petra found herself brushing her hand through his hair in sudden thought, keeping her other hand bunched in the fabric of her shirt so she didn't end up flashing him by mistake, still attempting to comfort her obviously troubled Captain because she found she didn't even know what to say. Regardless the strangeness of the situation, regardless her half-dressed state and the nervousness that churned in her stomach as Levi's thumbs drew mindless patterns on the bare skin of her hips, Petra couldn't help but smile.

Considering he was the one that came to her, considering all he had done for her over the years as her Commanding Officer, she found it strange that Levi seemed to be so concerned with paying _her_ back, rather than the other way around. It spoke to his humility, to the very heart of his being, that he simply couldn't see his good qualities and how he truly did so much for her.

It was as she tried to pick her words to respond, to try and do a better job of bolstering his obvious insecurities regarding how he treated her, that Levi slowly stood up from the ground, both his hands coming to rest on her shoulders as he watched her with a suddenly serious expression, "Petra, this is a little off topic perhaps, and I'm sorry to do this in such a setting as I really don't plan on being your 'Captain' out here while we're on vacation, but after getting a good look at you, I can't help but notice that you've lost weight. Were you…you haven't been skipping meals again, right? Be honest with me."

At Levi's suspicious words and critical stare that silently demanded a prompt response, Petra shook her head, "Oh no, no I promise. I have lost a few pounds, but it's all been related to my injuries and just all the extra work my body has had to due to heal and all that. I talked to the doctor about it yesterday considering my clothes have been feeling a little loose as of late, and he confirmed that it's normal after more significant injuries like mine. As for last month, I swear I've been eating, and trying to take good care of myself because I want to heal and get back onto the battlefield as soon as possible. The doctor said that once my body moves out of a state of recovery like this, that I should put the weight back on pretty quickly, so you know…I'm sorry to worry you Levi, but really, I'm alright. It's just all a part of the recovery process, I guess."

Levi accepted her answer, nodding his head seriously with relief, "Good. Just make sure you eat all your dinner tonight, and try to be a bit more generous with your portions while we're on vacation like this, because I can tell you flat out that you'll _need _to put that weight back on before you can even_ think_ about participating in any Expeditions. You're already damn scrawny as it is, but if you're malnourished and underweight on top of it, there's no guarantee you won't pass out from the strain, and I'd rather not have you as a liability out there. It's not meant to be a threat, but if you can't get back up to your previous weight, we'll just have to wait until the next Expedition. You'll get there, but there's no good that can come from rushing your recovery."

Petra gave a nod of understanding, a worried sort of expression coming over her face because she wasn't sure how soon her body would start being able to put on weight again, and Levi motioned toward the bathroom with a tilt of his head, "Your bath should be ready. Go soak, and I'll let you know when the food gets here."

Petra gave a nod, "Thanks. Would you mind carrying my things into the bathroom? I'm sort of…well, limited on that part of the mobility right now."

As a faint blush returned to her cheeks, Levi couldn't help the smirk that came to his face and he merely crossed his arms passively, "Don't be dramatic. The least you could do is just try, and if anything happens, then we'll know for next time. You'll be fine; it's only like ten feet from here."

It didn't occur to her immediately that Levi was obviously just teasing her, and at the way her blush deepened tenfold, Levi couldn't help the snort that left his lips. He rolled his eyes with a fond smile, grabbing her things and moving them toward the bathroom with an amused shake of his head.

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…

It was sometime later that Petra found herself nestled in bed, her eyes still adjusting to the dark as she vaguely felt Levi move from the opposite end of the bed, the bed so large that his movement hardly even reached her. Their evening had been fairly uneventful – she had spent a long while enjoying the glories of a large tub, had eaten a rather large and delicious dinner with her Captain, and true to Levi's words, had gotten to later experience the best chocolate cake she had ever had in her entire life.

She smiled faintly to herself at the memory, having taken her first bite while Levi watched her with a single raised eyebrow. She had confirmed with a mouthful that Hanji was right, because the experience was all but spiritual, and after nagging Levi some twenty times over, she eventually convinced him to take a bite because it was just that good and he clearly hadn't lived until he tried it.

His face had been amusing, causing Petra to laugh out loud as she watched his expression contort from the experience. He had blinked in surprise, his nose crinkling as he slowly chewed the dessert, and he eventually swallowed thickly, moving his tongue across his teeth next in attempts to clear his mouth from any remaining remnants. He looked back toward the cake, then Petra, shaking his head in wonder because it was sweet, _so_ sweet that it almost made his teeth throb unpleasantly, and the fact that Petra was consuming the dessert with such gusto, it had outright baffled him because consuming anything more than a bite or two of something so sweet would have undoubtedly upset his stomach.

Thinking about it had brought a smile to her face, now that they were finally settled into bed for the night, and she blindly looked up toward the ceiling, finding that the room was still too dark for her to be able to see much, "Levi…can I be honest with you? I'm kind of…well, worried about going home, I guess. I mean, I'm looking forward to seeing my Dad of course, but it's hard because I know we're just going to fight the whole time. It's not that I'm going home specifically to pick a fight or anything, but just knowing that that's going to be how it goes, it's exhausting to think about."

There was a long pause, and eventually she heard Levi give a light sigh, "You have to pick your battles, and this one…well, I won't tell you what's best or how to handle your business with your father, but considering I chose to marry you instead of letting his will be forced on you like he wanted, you know full well where I stand. Some things are worth fighting for, and something like this – it's important that he understands, whether he likes it or not."

Petra gave a grateful smile that she knew he wouldn't see, and she allowed her head to fall to the side, speaking toward Levi more directly, "Do you think that maybe…he'll like you?"

There was some shifting she felt, and based off the way his voice reverberated toward her more directly, she could only assume he had turned on his side to face her, "I doubt it. People don't really warm up to me at first glance, or second, or third, and after that they're pretty well burned out and already have their minds made up. What's more, considering the fact that I'm the man personally responsible for keeping his little girl in the military, he's got motive to hate me out right so I don't think I'll be in his good graces. Besides, if anyone knows the answer to that question, it's you. You know him a hell of a lot better than I do; I've never even met him before."

A sort of silence fell between them, Levi realizing that there was a_ reason_ she had asked him such a question, and he gave a deep sigh, "Does it…matter to you, that he like me? I'm not saying that it's impossible – I mean,_ you _seem to like me well enough and the both of you are related, it's just…I'm not sure that things will ever look traditional for us in that sense. I'm not trying to be callus or upset you, but I don't see a world where you and I are heading there for the holidays, where your old man greets us with open arms as we catch up around the dinner table or whatever. Things are changing between us Petra; I know that, and I'm okay with that, but some things – just because we relate to _each other_ differently – doesn't mean that we'll have those traditional moments or interactions that others do. We're still in the military, and that comes with expected sacrifices that neither of us can really avoid."

"I know." She whispered into the night air, allowing the silence to draw out as she picked her words carefully, "I am not looking for that so much as just…" she mentally tried to sort out her thoughts and gave a pensive shake of her head, "Don't misunderstand, it's not that I _need_ him to like you or anything, or that I'm wanting you to suck up to him or go out of your way to make a good impression. It's just…he's my Dad, you know? Some part of me will always try to seek after his approval, even if it's impossible for me to obtain. And you, because you're important to me, it does matter to me. A lot. How my Dad treats you, what he thinks of you, if he respects you or-"

"You can't control any of those things Petra." Levi stated with a quiet voice, and she fell quiet at his light correction, "At best, you'll be satisfied, merely _placated_ \- at the cost of being upset or heartbroken over what you can't change, in the more likely event that he and I don't hit it off all that well. You may have to accept that your father dislikes me outright, and honestly, that's okay."

She gave a mournful sigh, "I know. But even still, I can't help but hope that he takes me by surprise. I am not sure I can handle two weeks of fighting with my dad nonstop. I haven't seen him in so long now, and to spend our time fighting constantly, or to watch him fight you and cause you trouble just because you married me; it's exhausting to think about and I'm not sure I'll be able to just sit by and watch such a thing."

"I understand, but frankly, you can't dwell on what may or may not happen. It's out of your hands, and the best you can do is roll with the punches." As he spoke, Levi found himself taking a light breath, hesitant to speak further because he knew this was a sensitive subject for her, and he wasn't trying to downplay her feelings regarding the complicated nature of her relationship with her father. He remembered Eld's words to him specifically; his charge that Petra would apparently need him, would need his strength and his support, but simply wouldn't know how to ask him for help.

Even if it was just a glimpse, Levi was starting to see what Eld was talking about, because Petra was usually so confident, but this…her nervousness and uncertainty was palpable.

He exhaled, "But whatever happens, I'll be there. I can't promise to change it or make it better, but I can listen. If you get frustrated, or angry – whether at me or your father or just the situation – I'm going to be your ally. It's only two weeks, and then we can go back to headquarters, and life can return to normal. With any luck, your dad will respect your decisions, and we'll put the whole matter behind us once and for all. And that…you'd like that much, right?"

A long silence followed after his statement, and there was a warmth to her voice when she finally responded, "I would, very much so. And…thanks Levi. For being here with me. I know I keep repeating myself, but thinking about doing this all alone – trying to train, trying to explain it all to my dad, all the traveling and lonely hours for multiple days on end…"

"Don't worry about it. And I know_ you_ may be dreading it, but if I can be equally as honest in return, I wouldn't mind having a few direct conversations with your father. It's not that I'm wanting to fight with him but…"

"But you kinda are?" Petra asked with a knowing grin, not fooled by her Captain's gentle choice of words, and Levi couldn't help but smirk.

"Yeah."

Petra rolled her eyes, shifting across the bed ever so slightly as she tried to get comfortable, "Just don't go giving my father a heart attack or anything. You know how intimidating you can be, and my Dad's not getting any younger."

It was as she moved that a certain sort of something grabbed Levi's attention, and he blinked in sudden curiosity and suspicion because _that_ was different. "Hey Petra, what is that?" he asked simply, leaning up onto his forearm and looking toward the direction of Petra's voice as he spoke.

"What's _what_?" she asked, not certain what he was talking about and not sure if it was good, or bad, or if she should be outright panicking.

"That smell, it's…" he explained in a sort of pensive whisper, and Petra groaned at his rather vague explanation, because his generic response wasn't helping. Even still, she suspiciously smelled the air, not certain what might have gotten such a rise out of him, and after a few moments of admitted curiosity, she shrugged in eventual defeat, "I can't smell anything. It shouldn't be the food; the bellhops came and took the dishes away hours ago."

"Yeah, there's more pocket money that I'll never see again." He mumbled bitterly, and Petra snorted at his quipped response. Again Levi shifted across the bed ever so slightly, speaking as he did so, "And no, it's not something like that. It's…sweeter."

Petra rolled onto her side with an exhausted huff, turning away from Levi as she began moving her pillows around her, finding that she was rightfully spent, and after already giving it her best effort, she simply didn't care about whatever had grabbed Levi's attention so completely like this, "Sorry Captain, but I'm just going to have to chalk it up to this place being a new location. It could be anything; the bedding, the carpets, whatever cleaner they use, perhaps the air fresheners in the hallway-"

As she spoke in obvious dismissal, Levi exhaled slightly, mildly suspicious that Petra was feigning innocence, because it was each time that_ she_ moved that the alluring smell reached him yet again and perked his interest all the more. When he shifted across the expanse of the large bed and appeared right beside her, Petra all but jolted at his sudden closeness, not having been aware that Levi had been making his way toward her. Before Petra could catch her breath and berate him for sneaking up on her like that, Levi had given her a curious smile that she wouldn't see, and he carefully pulled a hand up, brushing her bangs to one side as he spoke in a pleased whisper, "I thought so. It's _you_."

"Me? What are you-"

Her words fell short as he pulled her closer toward him, pulling her against his chest running his nose against the dip of her neck, feeling her give a sudden gasp at his advance and falling still from her surprise. He ran his lips over her skin and spoke with a low, satisfied hum, "What_ is _that, is that perfume? Damn Petra, fuck, it smells really nice."

He kissed the spot just beneath her ear, a sensitive spot that he knew would make her heart race, and he continued lightly as he intentionally inhaled the addicting aroma more completely, allowing the sweet scent to fill his lungs as he spoke in a purr, "Is there a reason for it, maybe a special occasion perhaps? Are you trying to impress me or something?"

He nuzzled against her, his hands resting over her hips at first but finally moving around her stomach in a sort of embrace because, Petra, she had never been the perfume wearing type, at least not to his knowledge, and he couldn't deny it was a pleasant surprise. He had never felt that she needed it, because she certainly kept proper care of herself, and admittedly the light smell of her strawberry shampoo had always been thoroughly pleasant when he was lucky enough to catch a trace of it, but this…

Was she going out of her way to attract him, perhaps? Doing something _special_ in attempts to grab his attention, now that they were alone like this? Well, if she was going so far in her attempts to be so inviting of him, it would certainly be rude of him to disregard her effort.

Inhaling the pleasantly fresh, somewhat floral, sweet scent and allowing it to fill his airways all the more, Levi opened his mouth to speak, his hands moving just under the fabric of her nightshirt as he caressed her bare stomach with gentle strokes, "What _else_ are you wearing, hm? Aside from the perfume, of course."

Petra swallowed and shook her head, her voice a confused, quiet sort of dazed mumble, "Well, uh, my pajamas, I guess? If you must know, underneath that is my sports bra, underwear and…well, my socks, you know, to keep my ankle brace in place? I'm sorry to disappoint you but really, I'm not…I'm not _wearing_ any perfume, Captain. Was I…supposed to be? You're sort of confusing me right now."

He blinked, a stark cold feeling – the beginnings of embarrassment – running through his veins at the sheer confusion in her tone that confirmed that she perhaps, _wasn't_ feigning innocence.

"…What?" he asked in building horror, now equally confused because…it just didn't make sense to him. She smelled so damn good, how could it _not_ be perfume? He found his voice felt strained as he gave a humiliated cough, and he was back pedaling outright, "Uh…are you sure?"

His response was a sort of snort, and Petra nodded through her sudden laughter at the clear embarrassment in his tone, finally connecting the dots and realizing that her Captain had been _hitting_ on her. While she supposed she shouldn't be laughing, because he had all too easily gotten her heart pumping with just a few sultry words and phantom touches, even still, the entire situation was so surreal that she simply couldn't keep a straight face the longer she thought about it.

"Yeah Levi, I'm pretty sure. But you know, it's always nice to hear that I smell-" she moved back around so she was somewhat facing him more directly, an element of teasing to her voice as she retorted smugly, "what, 'Damn Petra, really fucking nice?' something like that, Captain?"

He cleared his throat with a cough, a sudden heat rising to his face as a palpable nervousness overcame him because…well, didn't he feel absolutely, thoroughly, and entirely_ stupid_.

"I uh…I thought that…" he cleared his throat again, now very aware of his hands that were still under her shirt, his palms resting over the planes of her stomach and side because in his previous certainty, he had clearly jumped the gun and now in the aftermath, he wasn't sure how he was supposed to recover.

He made a face, internally grimacing as he gently moved his hands out from around her, somewhat adjusting his position on the mattress and backing away because he had more than succeeded in making a fool of himself. Once he was safely back on his side of the bed, still hearing Petra giggle to herself, he groaned in prolonged humiliation, feeling the need to say something about his apparently uncalled for actions, "Sorry. I'm just going to try and forget about that, because I don't even know what to say at this point."

He adjusted himself on the mattress, admittedly frustrated, and he looked back toward where Petra was resting, shaking his head one last time because some part of his mind refused to let it go, still smelling that sweet and addictive fragrance even now and just as lost to its origins or how it may have gotten concentrated around her so strongly, "But for real Petra, you're really not wearing anything? I could have _sworn_."

There was a slight pause, and her voice lost its teasing edge, speaking now with a warmness to her tone as she responded, "I'm really not, Scout's Honor."

There was a groan, and Petra smiled, "Being completely serious Levi, I'm really not sure what it is that you're smelling on me, assuming it is me at all and not something else that's around me instead. I'd say it's my laundry soap, I did switch to a new scent recently, but if memory serves, it's fresh cotton or whatever, so I doubt you'd describe the smell as sweet, or go so far as to mistake it for something like perfume. To be honest with you, I don't think I've even _owned_ a bottle of perfume before – I've never really had a reason to."

There was a pause as Levi considered her words, still feeling a warmness around his neck and shoulders from his complete embarrassment, and with a slight shifting from the other side of the mattress, Petra was speaking with a sudden resolve, her voice light as she paused and thought the previous moment over in quiet contemplation.

"I'll have to find something, Captain. Granted, it might take time, but…I'll find one."

"…Hm?"

"For you, I mean. You know, perfume."

Levi blinked at her words, and from the opposite end of the bed, Petra gave a pleased, soft sort of hum, her voice more quiet as she spoke in gentle confirmation, "I didn't know you liked it so much. For whatever it's worth, even if you're embarrassed or whatever, I'm kind of glad you got the wrong impression just now, because I doubt you would have ever told me such a thing, and I would have never guessed something like this on my own. Like you said earlier, being in the military means there's a lot that can't change, sacrifices that we'll both need to make – but some things, even if it's just small things like this, some things _can_ change and I want to be willing to do those things for you. If finding a perfume that you like, and then me wearing it for you – if that means something to you, or if it makes you feel special in the same ways that you make_ me_ feel special when I'm around you, well…I'd love to give that to you, Levi."

She paused and gave a laugh, her voice more direct as though she had turned to face him, "After all, it's the small things, and if not me, then who else? I doubt you'd ever be caught dead wearing women's perfume, and I really wouldn't mind, if…you know, if that's okay with you."

The stoic Captain remained silent at her words, shocked by her admission and feeling a mix of awe, humility, and sheer gratitude as his previous embarrassment was exchanged for something more substantial and heartwarming. There was the smallest of sighs, and Petra continued just the same, "Granted I can't wear it all that often because it would be distracting and I'd sweat it right off during training, but maybe on special occasions or…well, just for you. I'd wear it for _you_, Levi. And you…you have to be honest, and tell me if you like it or not. If you don't like it, then it will ruin the whole point of me wearing it in the first place, so you have to tell me how you _really_ feel about it so I can find something suitable for your tastes. Promise me, okay?"

At Petra's words, Levi had struggled to find a fitting response, and he eventually sighed and gave a nod, still unsure of what else he really could say to express his pounding heart and the way his chest felt tight with a growing sort of elation. As he thought her words over, he felt an odd sort of satisfaction, pleased by his rather insightful subordinate that had a better read on people than she often pretended. No, she was no fool, and it was clear that at times, she knew him even better than he knew himself.

"I promise."

It seemed that once again, Petra had taken him by complete surprise.

…

* * *

End Of Chapter

* * *

...

Okay, of course I like this chapter a lot. It's got some interesting highs and some good insights – at least as the writer, I _hope_ so haha. I am just over the moon that we are getting there bit by bit and making some real progress towards wrapping everything up. It's crazy, isn't it? Don't worry guys, we've got a while to go yet, so if saying that makes you flip and mentally review all the things that still need to be addressed, don't worry, I got you. I'm not rushing to finish it *glances at fifty plus previous chapters* Trust me, that's NOT a problem. But none the less, all good things come to an end, and I'm looking forward to getting us all there one step at a time.

Again, I am so, so very sorry about Vetitian. I am making the final adjustments to chapter two, and it really, really will be ready by Wednesday. Hope yall have an awesome week and I'll see you next time!

~Mid


	60. There One With all the Waiting

Hello everyone!

It today dragging, or is that just me? Yall I swear, Imma need like a huge cup of coffee or something to get me in gear. Either way, you know the drill. Happy Sunday, hope you had a good week – and lets just get right to it!

…

* * *

…

Levi woke with a grimace, a soft sigh of discomfort leaving his lips as he shifted across the bed, hot and sweating and miserable, because his dreams had once again been nothing short of scandalous, filled to the very brim with every little thing he had wanted to do with, and to, the beautiful woman asleep…he shifted to find that again they had moved in the night, and this time she was settled right into his arms, apparently.

Great.

He held back a groan as he tried to ignore the aching, intense throbbing that he could feel from his lower half, and Levi slowly opened his eyes, all at once seeing a mess of orange hair splayed out all around him. Regardless his overwhelming discomfort, Levi couldn't help the sort of smile that came to his lips as he looked past the absolute mess of her wild, sleep tossed hair, down toward where Petra was sleeping against him even now, and his lopsided grin grew more pronounced as he looked her over.

Petra was sleeping on her side, facing him with one side of her face pressed against his chest, and he in turn was facing toward her, one hand cradled underneath his head, and the other wrapped around her lazily, his arm resting in the dip of her waist, and his hand splayed directly over the swell of her rear – something that he hadn't consciously done – however now that he_ was _awake, some part of him found that perhaps his hand felt a little_ too _comfortable to move, and so he didn't. His fingers flexed ever so slightly across the smooth planes of her backside – her ass feeling firm and warm and perfect beneath his curled fingertips, and a tightness churned in his groin at the sensation.

For a moment, he actually considered waking her up, kissing her into alertness and rolling her beneath him so easily as he moved his hands under her clothes, pulled the fabric off from around her and touched her deliberately because he knew she wouldn't push him away. He would spoil her with touches, kiss her and make her feel _so_ good; he'd push her back into the bed, leave bruising love bites and intentionally mark every inch of her skin down from her neck to her thighs. Every time she got dressed, every time she'd look in the mirror, she'd see the remaining marks and be reminded at once of who had_ put_ them there. He imagined that she'd blush; struggle to come to terms with the fact that it was him, her own _Captain_ – the man who was also her husband, and now lover_. _She'd think back on what they had done, blushing all the more as she secretly anticipated the next time they would be together in such a way, because she had to know he wouldn't keep her waiting long.

Surely that wouldn't be such a bad way to kick off their day, right?

And yet.

With a muted whimper, Levi carefully untangled himself from the sleeping woman, careful not to wake her up as he moved away from her with a light and tempered sigh. With the dim glow of light filtering throughout the room, it was clear that it was still the very early hours of the morning, and some part of him was hoping that Petra might be able to sleep in a while longer yet. The _sane_ part of him knew that more than she needed the impromptu morning sex, she really just needed to rest. Even still, despite the obvious importance that was Petra's health, his body wasn't fully on board with the idea of backing away and very much wanted to remain as close to her as possible, in hopes that his discipline would continue to whittle away until it snapped altogether.

As he started to move away, his body was actively protesting his choice with a vengeance, stubbornly making a point of his_ very_ unsatiated desire, shooting pangs and throbs up and down his torso in a way that made his muscles pulse unpleasantly, as though silently begging the question what the hell he was waiting for because this was just as good a moment as any to be with her.

Even now, he couldn't be sure of what sort of 'moment' he was waiting for, and yet he found himself holding out just the same. Not so much for his sake of course, but rather for Petra's. Because he knew that she would let him take her, he now felt somewhat responsible for remaining disciplined and picking the right time, and the right moment. What was more, it was important that he got it right the_ first_ time, because there would be no going back and undoing his actions once he finally made such an advance on her. No, it_ had_ to be right – perfect, like Petra - and gods, he just needed to be a little bit more patient, for just a little while longer. The right moment was coming, he could feel it. He just had to last until then.

Granted, that was well enough in theory, but in application…

He moved off the bed and put his feet onto the ground, taking a much-needed breath because his body was so damn hot and he needed a moment to allow his heartrate to fall back under control as he forced his body to comply with his will. He stood up from the bed, grossly uncomfortable with the ever-present ache in his groin and the way his pants were so uncomfortably bunched and stretched over his miserable hard on that refused to go away quietly.

Levi walked through the room, moving toward the closet and grabbing out what he needed for a shower. As he moved to gather his things, he knew that in the event Petra did somehow wake up, his clear arousal wasn't all that subtle and it would likely be the first thing that grabbed her attention because the outright bulge in his pants was an obvious one. He wasn't necessarily _hoping_ that that conversation would come about now, but at the same time, he found that he didn't really care if Petra saw him in such a state (surely she knew by now that he was absolutely desperate for her) and Levi continued about his business because it was only a matter of time anyway, and he had no interest in sneaking around their room.

He had nothing to hide.

Luckily, he had disappeared into the bathroom without Petra so much as stirring, and he shut the door behind himself with a long, labored exhale, feeling a sheen layer of sweat over his forehead because his desire was making him completely miserable. He was already turning on the water as he pulled his uncomfortable and itchy clothes off of him, stepping into the water stream after a moment and praying that the hot water would bring his muscles into a more relaxed state.

Thoughts of his dream, thoughts of _Petra_ began plaguing his mind with a stubborn and vengeful onslaught, and with an accepting exhale as the fire surged through his veins all the more as though entirely unwilling to dissipate, Levi found himself reaching lower across his body, fingers tracing down to his swollen length as he gave a quiet sigh of relief. This time, yes, he needed the release and he needed it now, because mental high ground or not, he was certain this was the only way he'd be able to stand so close beside her throughout the day and not outright jump her from sheer desperation.

With how frustrated his body was, with how painfully taut and coiled his muscles were as he touched himself deliberately, it hadn't even taken all that long for him to finish. His body quaked and spasmed only moments later; it seemed he was somewhat hypersensitive, his body eager for the release in whatever fashion he could obtain it. Levi allowed himself a moment, still in the immediate aftereffects of a much-needed orgasm, somewhat leaning against the wall as the hot water continued to beat down on his flushed and heated skin. He swallowed thickly and held his hand up toward the water, washing the warm and milky substance off his fingers as he fought to catch his breath even now.

Fuck. This desire, this outright_ lust_ for her body that he couldn't act on – it was a first for him, and to some extent he found it all to be completely maddening. Before, anytime he had wanted the company of a woman, he had found it rather easily. In terms of friendship or camaraderie, women as a whole tended to steer clear of him because of his gruff mannerisms and his crude language – but in terms of a quick and meaningless fuck, his standoffish personality seemed to have the _opposite_ effect, and somehow his quiet nature actually drew women to his side almost effortlessly - it certainly didn't hurt his chances when they recognized him as Humanity's Strongest, either. If their own _attraction_ to him wasn't enough, their _curiosity_ of how he was in bed often more than made up for it, and as a result, Levi never had to try all that hard to find himself a willing bedfellow to blow off steam with.

Petra though, goddammit. He had never had to wait for a woman before, not once in his entire life, and while he supposed this was probably a good thing for him to experience, he had to wonder just how much more he could take, because he had been wanting her for so fucking long now, and knowing that it would be four _weeks_ without any sort of schedule to keep to, where they could spend all day, any day, buried in the sheets of some random bed while he fucked her into sweet oblivion – gods, it was all just too much for him, and his discipline was crumbling fast.

After a few moments, his body finally, _finally _started to uncoil and relax into a more subdued, agreeable state – and with a relieved sigh, Levi stood up from the shower wall with a newly regained focus that had been lost to him for the entirety of the morning. He grabbed the provided shampoo, lathering the gel into his hands and proceeding with his shower as though nothing out of the ordinary had taken place.

It wasn't perfect, and his body certainly wasn't fooled by the difference, but even still, it might be just enough to get him through the day; one miserable, frustrated and agonizing step at a time.

He could only hope.

…

* * *

…

"You said breakfast was when?" Petra's voice came through the bathroom door once again, and Levi gave a nod she wouldn't see, turning to face the closed door and speaking through it passively as he combed through his hair and styled it in his traditional manner. It seemed that his shower had successfully woken her up, and as he continued getting ready for the day, presently with a towel wrapped around his hips, that Petra had begun to bustle about the room, not seemingly bothered at all by the fact he was in the bathroom because she continued speaking to him as though he were out in the open with her.

Though it was strange, conversing with her from a closed off room, he supposed it didn't bother him all that much, and he responded just the same, continuing his morning routine with ease regardless her constant chatter, "Eight thirty."

"And you said Erwin's already taken care of it, in terms of pay and everything?"

He gave his reflection a studious stare, fixing a few more strands of hair and nodding, "Everything but the tip."

"Alright. Now how about I cover that this time around? You took care of everything last night so-"

"No." he looked toward the door seriously, as though she would feel his displeasure through the door's surface and he continued flatly, "I told you before we got here that I'd be covering everything in terms of expenses. This place isn't one that you would have picked out for yourself, so it's not fair to expect you to dip into your funds and provide them with endless tip after tip. Besides, the reason I'm here at all is to try and make it up to you, and I wouldn't be doing my part if I let you pay the tab out of sheer convenience."

He heard a groan, very near to the bathroom from what it sounded like, and Petra's stubborn voice could be heard from just the other side of the doorway as though she had settled against the adjacent wall, "I wouldn't be paying the tab Captain – I'd be _splitting_ it. You know, just doing my share."

Levi rolled his eyes, crossing his arms at her weak defense and staring at the door in unamused challenge, "Petra, no. This place is expensive, and I just said that it wouldn't be right for you to try and pay for it. You just earned that bonus, and just because you_ can_ afford it doesn't mean you should throw your money at them by the handful. Gods, you're really bad about saving, you know that? Why spend your money when I've already offered to take care of it? Besides, isn't that part of being a girl, getting all sorts of expensive shit bought for you by your man? If _you_ get the perfume thing, then I get_ this_. Just let me do my part, at least every_ once_ in a while, otherwise I'm going to feel like I'm taking advantage of you."

When she gave a slow, bitter exhale, followed by the sound of retreating footsteps, Levi shrugged and looked back toward the mirror in what he hoped was long last victory. He wet his face down, spreading some shaving cream onto his skin as he spoke in further confirmation, unable to stop the impulse to drive his point home all the more, because he was certain that Petra was still unconvinced, "Oi, if it makes you feel better, when you add in the fact that I'll be staying at your place or whatever for two plus weeks, this really is only fair. I may complain about the constant tipping that occurs here, but it's not about the money; it's about their stupid staff _expecting_ a handout for just doing their job. I thought that's what a damned _paycheck_ was for, but apparently I'm just old fashioned."

He grabbed a razor and brought it down the side of his face, tracing his jaw with focus. From somewhere in the room, he heard Petra's muffled voice, far enough away this time that he couldn't make out what was being said all that clearly. He set the razor down with a sigh and opened the door a few inches, "Oi, what was that? I couldn't hear you."

"Oh sorry, I'm just packing up is all. I asked if you had a bag for your dirty laundry, so I can gather them up? I imagine you want that separate from the rest of your clean clothes, but I don't really want to start rummaging through all your things."

"Ah, no that's fine. It's an empty black bag. It's folded up in the grey suitcase; I think to the left side. If you can't find it, don't worry about it. I can pack up my stuff here in a sec, I'm almost done."

"Oh it's no trouble Captain. I'm just trying to multitask and save us a bit of time. If you don't mind, I'd like to check out once we're finished with breakfast. My ankle is feeling pretty good and I want to take advantage of that while we can."

"That's fine." He waited for a few moments, wanting to make sure that she had said whatever she needed to before he closed the door again, and after a moment of silence, he shut the bathroom door and resumed his task, picking the razor back up and starting where he had left off.

After a few more moments, Petra's muffled voice could be heard yet again, and he sighed. Again, he set the razor down and opened the door, looking around the room and trying to find her form, "Alright, one more time on that?"

The ginger didn't seem to pick up on the fact that she was inconveniencing him, and she spoke pleasantly as she continued moving around the room in a busy manner, walking into the closet as she explained further, "Sorry, about these clothes left out on the closet floor here, is this what you're wearing today, or did they get pulled out so you could grab all your shower stuff?"

Levi's eyebrows rose at her valid call out, and he nodded in admitted gratitude, "Oh yeah, that's all for today. Actually if you wouldn't mind bringing them here? I meant to grab them earlier, but I guess I left them on the floor by mistake."

"Oh, sure thing. Give me just a minute. I'm repacking my shower bag from last night, but after that I'll head your way."

With a bit of focus, certainly not wanting to make Levi wait on his clothes for that long, Petra grabbed her discarded clothes from yesterday, along with her pajamas, and moved them into her own bag to ensure they remained separate from her clean clothes.

She grabbed her shampoo and conditioner next, checking the seals on the bottles to ensure that they wouldn't fly open in her travels, pleased with herself that she had thought ahead and brought her own. Though the hotel had provided courtesy toiletries, all the bottles were impossibly small – certainly not enough for her long hair – and what was more, she was highly suspicious that that was what Levi had used in his shower this morning so it was for the best that she had her own supply at the ready. The only thing Petra had found herself using was the hotel's small bottle of lotion, because riding for so long tended to dry her skin out and the hot bath had only made her skin all the more parched. She had been pleased by the lotion's high quality, so much so that she had packed it in with her things, because after using it last night, her skin had felt so supple and moisturized and what was more, the lotion had smelled _so_-

Petra's eyes widened in memory, and at once she was opening the bottle, giving it a suspicious inhale and putting a hand over her mouth in all too late realization.

_This._

This was what Captain had been smelling last night!

It wasn't perfume; it was the _lotion_ she had put on.

Petra found herself shaking her head in amusement, admittedly amazed by Levi's sharp sense of smell, and on a whim Petra found herself checking the label, wondering just what sort of scent it was that had done him in. If she recalled, Levi had described the smell as sweet, and he had enjoyed it to such an extent that he had been a little on the aggressive side, hands roaming around her as he whispered low teasing words meant to entice her.

Whatever scent she had found here, it was clearly a bit of a turn on for him, and she was curious as to what it might be. She held the small bottle up closer for inspection, reading the small label with fancy, cursive styled letters in hopes to see what scent the product was marked as.

She squinted for a moment, struggling to read the small and elegant font, some part of her having to read it again because maybe she was reading it wrong? She read it again for clarity's sake, and her mouth dropped open from sheer disbelief.

_Lemon Verbena_

Petra couldn't help the snort that left her lips, loud laughs erupting from her throat all at once because…gods, she just couldn't believe it! Lemon! Eld – stupid, know it all Eld, had been right all along! Gods, it really_ was_ the lemon that had done him in, and the irony was just too much for her. How_ was_ it that Levi could be so elite, and yet so damn simple at the same time? It was nothing short of a conundrum, and laughter continued spilling out of her with gusto because the entire situation was nothing short of hysterical.

She heard the bathroom door creak open, and Levi's voice sounded off in the next moment, "Oi, what's so funny? You almost done in there? What are you even laughing about?"

She took a few breaths, struggling to contain herself and eventually packing her things away with a shake of her head because she was certain that Levi would not be as amused as she was in the event she tried to explain it to him. "It's nothing. I just realized that…uh well, I kinda think I owe Eld some money is all."

"Lost another bet, huh?"

She bit her lip, unable to control the growing smile that fell across her face, and she gave a shrug, "Something like that, I suppose."

As Petra grabbed the Captain's things and walked them toward the bathroom, a new, surprised expression pulled at her lips at the odd sight that greeted her, considering he had left the door open so she could give him his clothes for the day, she realized that Levi was clearly in the middle of shaving; a white foam spread around the majority of his jaw line. She couldn't help herself as she giggled at his appearance, and Levi watched her with a quirked eyebrow, likely having seen himself in such a state so many times that he didn't even register the source of her laughter.

"You shave?" Petra found herself asking curiously, even though her answer was obvious, and as Levi nodded and grabbed the bundle of clothes from her, he responded simply.

"Yep, every day."

Setting his clothes on the counter, Levi blinked after noticing that Petra remained standing just outside the doorway, a mischievous smile on her lips as she watched him in curious delight, "…Do you ever cut yourself?"

He exhaled, unnerved by her lingering stare that was entirely unnecessary, and he fought off the urge to cross his arms suspiciously, "Do you ever cut yourself when you shave your legs?"

Petra's smile waned, and Levi found himself smirking then, pleased that he had somehow successfully managed to ruin her enjoyment. She made a pouting face and retreated after a moment mumbling a 'You're no fun, Captain' and Levi gave an amused chuckle of his own, closing the door behind him and once again resuming his task.

He had only managed to shave a little over half his face when Petra's voice reached him yet again, her voice still muddied and impossible to understand, and he was suspicious she was back in the closet again. He gave a quipped exhale, set down the razor, and _again_ opened the door as he searched for Petra's small frame.

He tried not to glare at her when her head peaked out from the closet door a few moments later, and he gave a single decisive nod, "You know, I'm just going to leave this open." He stated tensely, and Petra nodded with a smile, still none the wiser toward his irritation and repeating herself in a lighthearted manner.

"Yeah, I was asking what we'd be having for breakfast. Three courses, right? Does that just mean three different things, served one at a time, or maybe three different menu options where we pick the style we want? Sounds like an awful lot of food. I'm not sure if I should be more excited, or outright intimidated."

Levi sighed, leaning back toward the mirror and picking the razor back up, somewhat wishing he had thought to leave the door open some time ago, because with the fact Petra could talk for hours without end, this just saved time. He responded to her barrage of questions, what seemed like one after the other, although now that he didn't have to keep shutting and reopening the door in an endless, miserable loop, her constant chatter wasn't all that irritating and he really didn't mind spending his morning conversing with her like this.

Eventually she had fallen quiet, favoring her sudden task of repacking their things in preparation for their travels, and as she moved one of her bags out of the closet, Levi watched absently from the mirror's reflection as Petra paused in step, looking toward him and…

Levi found himself stalling in place, because instead of Petra saying something or just continuing on with her task, she merely stood motionless for a long moment as though distracted by something. Just as he was about to speak and ask if everything was okay, from the mirror's reflection Levi watched as her eyes began trailing _him_ – trailing across_ his_ skin in a less than innocent manner, and his words were lost to him all the more. He watched in disbelief as she outright _ogled_ him, intentionally no less, and Levi almost deadpanned when her eyes lingered on his abdomen, clearly eyeing the planes of his hips and his pelvic bones that peaked out from the confines of the plush white towel he had wrapped himself in. He supposed he should be flattered, but more than that he couldn't help the sheer _puzzlement_ he felt, all but two seconds away from sounding off with a 'Petra, the fuck are you doing?' because didn't she know that he could _see _her…?

His own question answered itself, because it was then that he took notice of the unique angle she was standing at - an odd little position between the closet and the main room that cut off a large majority of the mirror from _her _sights – and he realized that she actually…_wasn't _aware he could still see her.

Well, he supposed that explained a few things.

Biting back a pleased smirk as he pretended not to notice her inappropriate little voyeurism, Levi resumed his previous actions as though none the wiser, intrigued by the way Petra's eyes continued to scan him up and down so shamelessly. He decided to have a bit of fun with it, turning every which way in the mirror as he suddenly surveyed his form, first looking at his hairline as though he had spotted something stuck in his hair, then toward the side of his face to double check his work. No matter how mundane the task, Petra's gaze seemed to remain perfectly transfixed on him, as though utterly mesmerized by the way his skin pulled across his body with his every little action.

Levi couldn't deny his ever-growing amusement, pleased that he was able to hold her attention so completely like this. Petra was always so reserved and so perfectly disciplined when it came to this sort of thing, and as a result he hadn't seen this side of her in quite some time; not once since she had stopped taking her pain medicine.

It was as he leaned forward toward the mirror, raising his arms up slightly in a way that made his back tighten and flex so he could shave his upper lip, that he had to disguise a loud snort with a sudden and forced series of fake coughs, because as Petra had watched the display, watched his body flex and shift to complete the simple task, her mouth had dropped open outright and she mouthed a very distinct 'Wow' to herself as her eyes darted across his back and rear in a mix of surprise and clear approval.

Levi certainly hadn't expected such a _comedic_ reaction from her, and the dramatic combination of her gaping mouth and wide green eyes almost caused him to lose his composure outright. As he coughed in attempts to disguise his onslaught of laughter, Petra's previously dramatic expression sobered and she looked toward the bathroom in sudden concern, "Hey Captain, is everything okay in there? Sorry, I know it's probably just a cough, but the last time it all started like that and then…well, you're not getting sick, right? If you aren't feeling well, maybe we should just stay here for another night or whatever. I get this place is expensive, but we can figure it out. It's not worth your health Captain."

At her undisguised worry, Levi held back a sigh because, of course, her kind nature would win out over her sexuality every damn time. Unfortunately, it seemed that in his attempts to draw the moment out and enjoy her amusing reactions just a little bit longer, he had instead forced it all to an immediate end - a true shame, because he had been thoroughly enjoying himself, and from what he could tell, so had Petra.

Regardless his disappointment, Levi still pretended to not 'see' her, and merely turned over his shoulder to respond in his attempts to keep the illusion alive. As amusing as the moment had been, more than anything it spoke to her shy and modest nature that was very much present in his young subordinate even now. For all his teasing and toying with her, he certainly wasn't looking to embarrass her, because Petra really could stand to be a little more selfish and it was resoundingly clear that she found him attractive. While on the whole he didn't traditionally enjoy being stared at and detested it when people watched him with overwhelming lust in their gaze, he supposed that for Petra specifically, well… he really wouldn't mind being an object of _her_ desire. No, not in the least.

Fuck, he even _welcomed_ it.

"It's fine." He lied easily, "Just knicked myself is all. Shit burns."

Petra gave a sigh of relief and shifted her weight as though preparing to move back toward the main part of the room, but she paused and stole one last glance toward him, looking back down his chest and focusing on his hips as she bit her lower lip with an amazed exhale of contented finality. Levi didn't miss the shy smile that painted her lips, a blush soon following that tinted her cheeks a rosy hue, and with a quiet press of her lips, Petra grinned all the more and continued about her day with a notable spring in her step.

Apparently, it seemed that she had rather _liked_ what she saw.

Once she was out of sight – truly out of sight - Levi had been unable to stop the smug grin that came to his face, realizing all too late in his distracted state that the razor was still against his skin. He winced at the suddenly stinging sensation when the blade bit into his chin, and he pulled the razor away with a displeased hiss.

"Ow, fuck me." He mumbled bitterly to himself, already grabbing a washcloth and pulling the fabric up toward the small cut, patting the blood off his skin to survey the damage. True to his prior claims, it _was _just a small knick, and he found that to some extent, perhaps he had deserved it.

…

* * *

…

The next few days had passed rather miserably for the both of them.

Levi found that apparently some part of him, if only subconsciously, had truly _assumed_ they would be spending their nights together; bodies twisted in layers of disarrayed blankets and sheets, swearing that after this they'd go to bed because it was late and they needed to keep traveling in the morning, but never actually making good on it until the dim glow of sunrise filled the room.

He could see it all so easily in his mind – Petra would be curled up against him, her hair wild and unkempt, her body flushed from their passionate acts, and she would look around the room with sudden clarity, notice that it was already morning and she'd groan. She would probably blame him for the whole thing, giving him an empty glare that held no true anger, because they would have to leave soon and she was completely exhausted and if he hadn't kept her up they'd be better prepared for the day.

He'd tell her that she was being dramatic; he'd pull her against him and whisper sultry things into her ear, remind her how much she had clearly enjoyed staying up in the night with him, and she'd blush at his call out as he told her of all the sounds she made for him in the night, but then she'd shove him away with a huff because she'd 'see what he was trying to do' and grumble bitterly as she pulled blankets and pillows around her, as though making a weak fortress would actually keep him away when she didn't trust him to behave.

Their travels would be utterly miserable, both of them exhausted and running on sheer adrenaline and coffee as they rode for hours on end to the next town, but he'd catch her lingering stare more than once - a small smile that would confirm how happy she was that they were finally together like that – and he'd find himself giving her a pleased stare in return, satisfied by their bond and already looking forward to settling down in the next hotel so they could do it all over again.

Realistically, Levi supposed it was for the best that that _wasn't _what was happening between them, because Maria knew that once that door was finally opened, he just wouldn't have the discipline to force himself to sleep at night when there were much more _interesting_ things they could be doing instead. While the physical element would be amazing, on the whole, three back to back days of riding, followed by subsequent nights with little to no sleep – that was a recipe for misery and short tempers and petty arguments.

While their travels were leisurely, the hotels luxurious, and the food substantial; Levi's body was nonetheless just as disagreeable, and he found that his 'personal time' in the shower was becoming a rather accustomed, daily part of his morning routine. He didn't like making excuses, but he supposed he simply couldn't help it. He was doing everything he could to behave, but it wasn't enough to keep his desire at bay. He'd stay focused throughout the day, he didn't let his mind wander, he didn't let his eyes trail her when he thought he could get away with it; he was certain that if he intentionally went about his day with purpose and discipline, that his unchecked lust would just go away on its own. Granted, he wasn't sure if it was really working or not, but at least during the day…during the day, it wasn't so bad.

The problem was the nights, where he was asleep and_ not_ so mentally in control. He would give himself the best shot he could, because he really _was _trying – Petra would sleep on one side of the bed, and he'd sleep on the other, far enough away that it really did seem like he was sleeping alone. Regardless the distance between them in the night, his dreams still got the best of him, every time, and every time when he awoke, he was flushed and sweating, miserable and desperate and so filled with lust that he thought he was going to go mad.

He'd awake to find Petra in his arms, and he wasn't sure if her being there was helping to sedate him, or if it was only making it worse. At the very least, he supposed it was interesting, because in the past, it was _Petra_ who had moved and eventually found herself nestled against him, but now, it was him that was moving in the night. He'd find himself on the opposite end of the bed from where he had started, his arms wrapped around her frame tightly, sometimes over her waist, around her back, and once over her bare stomach, as though he had pushed her shirt up in the night in order to feel her skin against his.

He supposed he was lucky in that he was a naturally early riser, because it gave him the privacy he needed to quietly slip out of bed, gather his things, and take a much-needed shower that served to barely keep him sane – all _without _Petra being made aware of his redundant little problem and spare him a few rather uncomfortable conversations he wasn't wanting to have quite yet. He knew that if Petra saw him like that, she'd probably outright force herself on him, not from attraction so much as a sense of_ obligation_ and guilt, and no – after all this time and all he had built up in his head, he would be damned before he let their first time be a mere quickie, simply because he needed to get off.

It wasn't ideal, and he was admittedly tense, frustrated and more than a little on edge in every sense of the word, but he was getting by and he could handle his own body. Petra was _worth_ the wait, and to some extent, the knowing it could happen whenever, wherever, at any point in time if the moment felt right between them, that merely built his anticipation all the more and Levi supposed that at the very least, it gave him something to look forward to.

As for Petra, even with how miserable he was, Levi was well aware that she was even worse off – something that had undeniably stilled his hand, because she was clearly unhappy and distant as she mentally faced the battle that was meeting back up with her father. He had been suspicious that her nerves would eventually start to get the best of her because she was relational to her core and would feel at odds with herself, but this – as each day went by and her nerves continued to unravel at the seams - this was something else.

With every mile traveled, her thoughts would race all the more and she'd relive the whole event. She'd think about when she was told that she was discharged from the military, about the proposal, how they were married and how her father would be devastated by her choice. She was feeling guilty he knew, for marrying him in the manner that she did, and was perpetually debating with herself how her father would react, and how _she _would react to seeing him after all this time.

As they traveled throughout the day, she hardly said a word, clearly lost in thought, and while the silence didn't bother him, her palpable agitation was nerve wracking. He had tried a few times to spark some sort of conversation with her, anything to distract her from her warring thoughts and bring her out of her strange, miserable stupor, but she would only give him empty, halfhearted answers and allow the conversation to die off at the first presented opportunity.

A few times he had caught her talking to herself, bits of conversation or things she wanted to communicate to her father, as though she were already working out what she wanted to say and was tweaking her approach word by word to make her imaginary argument as strong as possible. He had asked her with legitimate concern if everything was okay, because for her to be_ that_ nervous about their upcoming reunion - it was a bit of a red flag, and he had no problem telling her as such.

With a defeated exhale, Petra had confided in a quiet whisper that some part of her had always,_ always_ sought after her father's approval but she had never gotten it – not once according to her – so she was just trying to be as ready as possible because she was hoping that this wouldn't be yet another thing that he'd look down on her for. Her words had surprised him to some extent, because Petra had always spoken so highly of her father throughout the years – he would have never guessed that her homelife had been so complicated and put her at such odds.

After a full day of traveling and finally reaching their next selected hotel, Petra hardly even looked the room over like she had done before (which was a shame, because Erwin really had outdone himself) and almost immediately disappeared into the bathroom, mumbling that her ankle hurt and she needed to soak for a while. While it was subtle, Levi could hear the sound of her cries over the running water, and it seemed that even with as close as they were, she still didn't want to make him aware of just how upset she really was – that, or she just couldn't bring herself to 'trouble him' with her emotions.

They'd order food, have a quiet meal, a few laughs here and there that helped break the tension and her sheer misery, but the laughs were few and they days were long. They'd go to bed and sleep on their own separate ends so that the other wasn't disturbed in the night. Levi was certain that Petra would feel better – for both him _and_ her – if she were wrapped in his arms from the start, on purpose, but Petra was surprisingly guarded in her grief and spent most of her time in quiet contemplation; her mental battles being fought alone as though she were simply unwilling to allow him in to ease her pain.

He supposed it worried him to see his bubbly subordinate reduced to such a somber state for days on end, but it was okay.

This was the last day, and the last night.

Tomorrow, a little after lunch, Petra said they'd be back at her hometown and getting settled in at her father's house. Whether it was all going to be just as bad as what she was expecting, worse, or perhaps better – at least she'd_ know_ and he wouldn't have to watch her mentally berate herself at every turn like this.

Tomorrow, he'd meet her father, face to face, for the first time.

He'd meet the man who had tried to force his daughter out of the military, and had unintentionally sent her running straight into his arms instead. Without meaning to, her father had all but_ forced_ them together, because Petra had been backed into a corner and desperate, and to some extent, he himself hadn't been willing to let her go without a fight, even at the cost of taking her as his wife at a time where he hadn't_ wanted_ such things.

Tomorrow, he'd meet the man who was _responsible_ for giving him his bride, the spitfire of a woman that he was hopelessly fond of, and yet it was strange, because even though Petra was perfect and more than he ever deserved in this lifetime, where he should perhaps be _grateful _to the man…Levi knew full well that they'd be meeting as enemies.

After seeing firsthand the mental strain that had been placed on Petra, seeing her shed tear after tear, knowing she was making the best out of her marriage to him but still felt burdened by the fact she were married at all; knowing that it was because of her father that Petra had been placed in such a difficult position in the first place – Levi wasn't sure he could ever get along with such a man. Even back then, he hadn't been pleased with him because that was_ his _subordinate that he had been fucking with, and even if he could understand her father's dislike of Petra being in the Scouts, that was a dirty way to get results.

Although, in some ways perhaps, Levi had to admit that he seemed to share some common ground with Petra's father. Both had been faced with the premise of potentially losing Petra for a lifetime, and both had taken debatably the same drastic, life altering steps in order to lay claim to her and keep her by their side. While maybe that was putting things a little too simply, when it came down to it, Levi couldn't deny that the results of Petra's decision was a bit of a wonder to him.

Petra had chosen him, over her own father.

How surreal.

…

* * *

End Of Chapter

* * *

…

And yes, in accordance to tradition, this is ALSO one of my favorite chapters. I'd say for me, probably top ten, ranked somewhere around 6 or 7ish? It's a transitional chapter (obviously) and yet, I just love Levi's thoughts so much because it sets that mood of just…waiting. In so many ways, but in all, waiting just the same. I dunno, I find that as a writer it's easier for me to 'speak' from Levi's perspective, and I love it when I get to let his mind run wild like this because he always has such _interesting_ things to say. Petra (in my humble opinion) tends to focus on the here and now, and I usually use her voice when I am describe something that's currently happening. The situation at hand, how it applies to her, how she's going to speak to such and such situation – but as for Levi, I feel he's always living three days ahead, in a mental stupor of what's around the corner so he won't be taken by surprise and be caught unprepared.

All that to say, I usually hate transition chapters because they are full of clever ways to say 'HEY TIME PASSED' and yet for this particular one, I don't hate it so much. That's just my musings – as always feel free to throw them right out the window because your interpretation is what matters here :)

Either way, thanks to everyone, all the new faces, the new subs, those who have been around SINCE CHAPTER ONE (looking at you Pepper!) and so, so many others that have also been around since the beginning and are still here every week. Yall really are great; because its sixty chapters in, we've still going strong!

~Mid


	61. The One Where Levi meets Him

Morning guys!

Hopefully this week wasn't too long for you. Honestly, I just woke up and I'm still half asleep so Imma just not say much because, ya know, morning.

Yall enjoy the chapter!

…

* * *

…

"Here we are, Captain." Petra gave a nervous smile and nodded toward the door, "This is it."

Levi merely nodded, and Petra took a breath of preparation, pausing in place for a single moment as though working up the nerve, and eventually, she grabbed out a small key, opened the lock, and moved into the house.

Inside there was a small entry way, and Petra spoke softly, an obvious nervousness to her voice, "Uh, here. This is where you can leave your shoes if you want, Captain. You don't have to, I mean, Dad really has never cared about shoes in the house, but none the less. I should-"

"Princess? Is that my baby girl? You home?"

It was undoubtedly her father that was speaking, and Petra's eyes widened, speaking more loudly as she called back out to him, "Yeah, uh, it's me Dad. Made it back okay." She immediately turned toward Levi, her voice a tense whisper as she watched him with narrowed eyes, "Levi, how did he know I was coming?"

He responded simply, his voice equally as soft, "Erwin. Once you confirmed that you'd be taking the vacation time, he sent a letter to your father and had it rushed out. He thought it for the best that he get the heads up."

Petra grumbled and rolled her eyes, slipping out of her shoes as she responded with a bitter huff, "Oh sure,_ I_ try to mail out letters and they all get blocked. _Erwin_ gets involved and his letters get rushed. How is that-"

"Petra, that hardly matters right now."

"Hardly matters? Captain, before we had the element of surprise on our side. Now that he's been tipped off, he'll be all the more impossible! He's had time to think, and he'll be that much more of a pain in the ass! You don't know him like I do! All Erwin did is stoke the fire."

"Perhaps that's true, but at the very least the man's actually _here_, right? Would have been a real shame to come back to an empty house." Levi watched Petra shake her head, obviously thinking of a number of things all at once, and he placed a hand on her shoulder, giving her a direct stare to grab her complete attention, "Petra. Go and see your dad, because anger or not, I know you miss him. I'm going to start grabbing the bags, okay?"

She took a breath and nodded a few times, trying to bolster her resolve, because of course, her Captain was right. "Okay."

Levi gave her shoulder a reaffirming squeeze, and Petra turned around, walking out of the entry way and into the house, uncertain of what she might be walking into. She stepped into the main part of the room, eyes scanning the room to find her father.

"Over here." Her dad stated from the side of the room, nearing the kitchen, and Petra turned toward his voice, all but freezing in place as her eyes met his, feeling a number of things all at once and uncertain what to respond to first.

Her father.

It had been so long. There was so much left unsaid between them. She was furious with him. She was deeply hurt. She wanted him to understand; to accept the life she had chosen and to somehow win his impossible approval. She wanted to yell at him, to demand his respect and a well-deserved apology. She wanted to tell him everything. She wanted to tell him about her daily life with her_ other_ family; the serious nature of Gunther, the unrelenting pride of Oluo, and the charm of Eld – who she was certain her father would get along with, if they ever got the opportunity to meet face to face.

She wanted to tell him about the gas shortage, how she had somehow been placed in such a position that revealed she had a rather unique skill, and how she had eventually created a solution that would change the course of the entire military and how they used the resource. She wanted to watch his eyebrows raise, see his surprise after hearing how accomplished she was – tell him that the other factions were bribing her because they wanted to use her skills in the future as well.

She wanted…

Well, what she_ really _wanted most of all…

She wanted to tell him about Levi.

An uncertain, cautious silence filled the air as the two regarded each other warily. Her father watched her in equal hesitance, and after a few moments, he gave a long sigh and smiled at her, a lopsided sort of grin, and he crossed his arms, "So uh, can we hold off on the fighting for a few moments? We both know it's gonna happen, but even still Baby, it's been a while since-"

Before her father could finish his sentence, Petra had moved across the floor, a single hesitant step at first, but quickly gaining momentum until she was all but running toward him, throwing her arms around him in a crushing embrace as tears came to her eyes.

Her father, rather used to his daughter's aggressive hugs that she often greeted him with, merely smiled and returned her embrace in an equally fierce manner, one hand around her back, the other moving through her hair with an affectionate sweep of his palm. He could feel his daughter quake in his arms as she cried, at once reminded of just how tender hearted she truly was, and he couldn't help the smile that came to his lips, "Shh, Petra. It's okay. I'm glad you're here; it's been such a long time, baby girl."

The man's voice cracked as he spoke, and Petra merely nodded into his shoulder, wetting his shirt with her tears and struggling to speak as her emotions continued to overwhelm her, "Yeah Dad. Almost two years now."

He kissed the top of her head, blinking a few tears out of his eyes as he spoke softly, "I've missed you, sweetheart."

"I know. I miss you so much, every day, Dad." She took a breath, her grip across him firm as her hands shook because after all that had happened between them, a considerable amount when they hadn't been face to face like this for some time, even still, the circumstances and brewing storm didn't retract from how much she cared about him, and she found that even if it was only for a moment, she was grateful for a moment like this, where she could focus on what truly mattered between them.

"It's always hard to be away from you, you know you're my world."

Her father gave a long sigh, rubbing her back as he spoke in a solemn, broken whisper, "So why then, Petra? I just don't get it. If you miss me that much, then why didn't you just come home, for good, when you had the chance? I know you viewed it all as being forced, but I know you can make a life out here. If anything, you've proved that you're adaptive, so we both know that you could have-"

"Dad," Petra exhaled, closing her eyes because the sweetness of the moment was beginning to fade away all too soon, already being replaced by the bitterness of their situation.

Her father pulled her back so he could look at her directly, his eyes not narrowed in anger, but rather in concern as he watched her with obvious hurt. His voice was still quiet, "Petra, _why_ did you do it? Why did you get married? Do you hate me that much, where you'd rather marry a stranger than come back home, where you belong?"

She opened her mouth to speak, struggling to find her words, and she shook her head before giving him a remorseful, but serious stare, having hoped that maybe they could avoid fighting for at least the first ten minutes. She took a breath, "Dad, I 'belong' in the military. Someone like me has no place among civilians; we've talked about this. Even knowing that though, instead of respecting my choice, you decided to try and force me back instead. You know how I feel about that; what did you think would happen?"

Her father released his hold on her, a look of irritation flashing across his face at her sudden line of questions, his tone more serious as he responded curtly, "What did I think would happen? Petra, I thought you'd come home. And sure, I knew you'd be angry at me, I knew we'd fight about it for months on end, but like I said, you've proven that if anything you're tenacious and adaptive. You'd readjust to life just fine and drop this do or die mentality. What I _didn't_ think would happen is that you'd be so desperate that you'd end up getting married. _Married_, Petra! And you didn't even tell me!"

Petra gave a huff of offense, her eyes wide as she defended herself, "Dad, it's because you left me no choice! I don't know how many times I have to say it for you to understand – I _want_ to be in the military! I have no intention on settling down right now, and no thanks to you, you made it so that was the only option left for me! I had to get married because it was the only way I'd legally be able to sign a new contract! Had it not been for-"

It was as she was speaking, aggravation clear in her tone, that Levi came into the room, a few bags strapped around him as he walked into the tense room, and her father looked toward him slowly, his mouth dropped open in disbelief.

"No." he stated lowly, his eyes locking onto Levi's with a shake of his head, "Petra, _please_ tell me that he's only here to issue me a formal apology regarding how everything has been handled between me and the Scout Regiment. Is he here just to make sure that you made it back home okay? That_ better_ be all this is. You can't… you can't _possibly_ mean to tell me that…"

Levi looked toward Petra, then toward the man that he had never met face to face before, but had heard of numerous times, through Petra's various stories and letters throughout the years. He held the older man's gaze flatly, noting that it was a very familiar shade of green that was staring back at him.

Well, that answered that question.

Petra cleared her throat and gave a sigh, "Dad, this is Levi. He's-"

The man's green eyes hadn't left the Captain's for even a moment, and his voice lowered in obvious impatience, "Petra Marie Ral! I _know_ who he is; you've talked about him for years and any moron with half a brain would recognize the Scout's right-hand man. What _I _want to know young lady, is who is he to _you_?"

At her father's harsh tone, Petra had opened her mouth to speak, but Levi turned toward her father more directly, his jaw set firmly as he spoke, "I'm her Captain, and more recently, I'm now her husband as well. For the record, nowadays she goes by the surname of _Ackerman…_no thanks to you of course."

Petra couldn't help but blink at Levi's words, because while he wasn't being disrespectful by any means, he certainly wasn't pulling any punches regarding his thoughts or where he stood on the matter, and instead of responding directly to Levi's words, her father's attention snapped back toward her directly, "For real Baby, you married_ this_ guy? I'll admit I hadn't really thought too much about it; I had somewhat expected that it was that one blonde guy or whatever. You said you and him got along pretty well, so some part of me just _assumed_ it was him because, well, let's face it - it's not like you would have had a huge line of guys trying to date you or whatever."

"Alright Dad, what's that supposed to me-"

"You seriously mean to tell me that you _married_ this guy? Him? The guy you said has no sense of humor and enjoys_ terrorizing _people? He's so…" he paused and looked the younger man over with a disgruntled frown, his eyes narrowing at Levi's quirked brow that almost_ dared_ him to continue, and her father gave a bitter huff as he looked back toward Petra, a sneer to his lips as he spoke in surprise and indignance, "He's clearly not your type. I'm your father, and I know a good match when I see one. This just isn't it. He's no good for you, Petra."

Levi's hard-set expression didn't change, though he couldn't deny he was inwardly amused at how Petra had apparently described him _before_ their marriage, and then…not so amused at how simply her father had written him off with a literal passing glance.

Petra's voice showed signs of sheer agitation, her voice gaining in volume as she responded because it was obvious she didn't have a lot of patience for her father's evident dislike, "Alright Dad, there's so much wrong with what you just said. First off, the guy you're talking about is Eld, and yes, he's a good friend of mine, but no, I'd never be anything other than friends with him because, _if you recall_, he has a fiancé that he's very much in love with, and he's more of a brother to me anyway. As for how many guys are or aren't interested in me, that's none of your business. And as for Captain and I…well, it doesn't matter if we're a 'good match' or whatever, because it's a done deal so it is what it is."

She took a breath and added in as a sort of afterthought, "And about what I wrote earlier about him…yeah. That's all still true. He really doesn't have a sense of humor and he's pretty sadistic more often then not. So yeah, I guess you've got me there, but considering it's your fault I had to get married in the first place, I wouldn't dwell on it too much or you may start to actually feel bad about it."

"Right, and it's all thanks to me. You really mean to say that you look at this whole mess as though I caused it? Did you ever think that you just didn't have to get married? You could have let your term come to an end and just leave that mess behind you. Most Scout's aren't lucky enough to escape with their life and I gave you an easy out – you just had to take it!"

"Dad! I'm not looking for a way out! I love what I do, why can't you understand that? Why do you always have to belittle me or talk about my life in the military as something to be ashamed of?"

"All I wanted was to give you a better life, Princess! I don't know why you're treating me like a criminal!"

"Because what you did is not okay, regardless your intentions! Just because you don't agree with me doesn't give you the right to live my life out for me. I'm a grown adult Dad! I'm not a child anymore so-"

"Well you're certainly _acting _like a child; throwing rebellious tempers, running off and living so recklessly, like your life doesn't even matter to you in the slightest. Like it or not, but you're still young. You don't know what you want out of life and as your father it's my job to-"

"No, it's not! You need to respect the fact that-"

Sensing that this was going to go on for a while in a manner that didn't require his two cents, Levi motioned toward the bags and looked at Petra flatly, "Oi Petra, where do you want me to put these?"

She blinked at his sudden callout, looking toward him with a flustered huff and motioned with her hands as she spoke, "Uh, right. You can put all our stuff in my room. It's down the hall, take a right, then straight back." She looked toward her father again, "Considering you're clearly hellbent on me living here again, am I correct in presuming that my room is still intact and not turned into a storage closet or whatever?"

Her father's mouth dropped open as he watched the raven haired male readjust the bags and take a few steps towards the hall in question, and he cleared his throat, "Well sure, your room is still there baby, but he-" her father shook his head darkly, "That man is _not _staying here. He had the nerve to steal you away, take your hand without so much as showing even a hint of respect for my wishes, so-"

Levi paused in place, not caring if the two argued back and forth till kingdom come, not caring if the man hated him outright, but even still…this was her father's house, and Levi had more tact than to stay where he wasn't welcome.

Petra gave a dark laugh, "Oh, is that a fact? Well then." She turned over her shoulder and gave Levi a chilling, sadistic sort of smirk that he knew wasn't intended for him, regardless the fact that he was on the receiving end of her unfitting sort of dark glower, "Captain, it seems we aren't welcome here because my Dad is trying to make a point of his disapproval. If you will go ahead and round up our horses? Sorry for duplicating the work, but it seems we'll have to find an alternative source of lodging."

"Now wait a second Princess. It's not like that, I just don't want some stranger-"

She turned back toward her father and crossed her arms, "Stranger? Dad, just stop because we all know what this is about. I'll have you know that the reason Captain is here is because I _asked _him to be. I wanted him to meet you, because rocky relationship or not, you are my father, and I feel that it's only right that the three of us sit down face to face and work together to put this whole mess behind us. But if you're going to be such a prick that you can't even be a proper host to the man that has watched over me and protected me as my Commanding Officer for close to six years now, if you can't respect the fact that I want him here with me, by my side, then it is what it is, and we'll be out of your hair before dinner because if he goes, then I go with him. Like it or not Dad, we are married, and so if you want_ me_ to stay here, then Levi's staying here with me, and that's a non-negotiable."

At Petra's passionate demands, Levi remained in place, admittedly not enjoying being put in the middle to some extent, but understanding full well why Petra was choosing to fight this battle head on like this. Admittedly, being separated from her for two weeks, while he was at some random hotel and she was here at her father's house, was less than ideal and regardless the extreme tension that now filled the room, he was glad that Petra was bold enough to butt heads with her father so directly regarding where they would be staying. Considering he was a guest, a complete outsider, it simply wasn't his place to speak against her father on such a matter, because at the end of the day, it wasn't his house.

Although, as he watched Petra and her father glare at each other as the silence extended all the more between them, he supposed he shouldn't be all that surprised, because Petra had been nothing but willful for as long as he had known her. Of course, he still considered her to be fiercely loyal and compassionate, at times to a fault because her willingness to forgive was something of a marvel to him. Even still, watching Petra now; the pout to her lips, the way she had popped out a hip and had crossed her arms – the very picture of defiance if he had ever seen one – it was an oddly telling detail.

This more direct version of her, a willingness to express herself so _loudly_ to her father, to be so outright defiant and to speak her mind without even a moment's pause to consider the consequences; it merely highlighted the fact that the two of them were extremely close and their bond ran deep. Deep enough that Petra didn't have to second guess her steps or present herself any one way. Deep enough that she could come home, start shouting at him, and know just the same that their bond wouldn't be broken because it was clear that it ran that deep.

Much deeper than something like this.

A long, challenging stare was still being exchanged between the two, as though each testing the other's resolve, and Levi had to admit he was curious to see who would be the first to break. In truth, he didn't care where they ended up staying – it would all be as equally unfamiliar to him – but to know between the two of them who was the most stubborn, that would be extremely valuable information for him to keep in mind.

Petra was stubborn, perhaps one of the most stubborn people he had ever met in his life, and he knew full well that her father was a stubborn man as well. Could it be that the older man was even _more _difficult than Petra? Was that even possible?

Eventually, her father gave a long sigh of defeat, causing Petra to smirk triumphantly, and Levi wasn't sure if he was relieved or horrified with the turn out, because while it worked out well enough in this instance, it only spelled out_ immense_ trouble for him in the future. It was now resoundingly clear to him that this woman wouldn't listen to anyone. For all his years of being her Captain, she hadn't really ever listened to him, and if the results of this standoff meant anything, it was obvious that she didn't really listen to her father either.

Gods, she was just so troublesome, and he was completely fucked.

"Levi, was it?" her father looked past Petra with a sort of lean, toward where he was standing, and then waved his hand with a bitter click of his tongue, "Like she said, down the hall and straight back. We've got a small stable out behind the house; you'll see my horse, Pammy, there. There's enough room back there for all three horses, but be sure to watch your back because Pammy'll bite at ya. She's not too fond of strangers."

Levi merely gave a nod and continued down the hall, and their previous arguing picked right back up as though it had never stopped.

He walked into the mentioned bedroom, amused when he realized that her bedroom here was almost the same size as the one she had back home at the base. He supposed that undoubtedly accounted for why she hadn't been offended by how small her room was all those years ago when she had first joined his squad. To some extent, without him even knowing it, it had likely made her feel more at home.

The room here was bare, surprisingly bare, although on second thought that may have been more due to the fact that she hadn't been living in her father's house for over eight years now, so he supposed he shouldn't be all that surprised by the lacking amenities or decor. The room was fairly basic, the door stationed at the right corner of the room, a simple, but neatly made bed was placed up against the wall, only a few feet to his left. Aside from that, there was no desk or furniture to speak of, just a bed against the wall, however it seemed that in the opposite corner of the room, on the other side of her bed, was a small door that he assumed was a closet.

He walked around the bed, opening the door and confirming his suspicions in a rather anticlimactic fashion. He_ was_ perhaps surprised to see that most of her clothes were still here, hanging up and well maintained no less. Both sides of the small walk in closet were filled with her clothes that she had left behind - clothes that were obviously Petra's because they were far too small to fit a grown man like her father. Aside from the petite size, the type of clothing also was a bit of a giveaway. The hangers were packed with dresses, skirts, blouses – mostly dresses – and Levi made a mental note that it seemed Petra had perhaps _preferred_ to dress more effeminately back when she was younger, before she had come to the military.

In truth, it was difficult for him to picture her in even half of what he saw here; various ruffled garments that were full of lace, gentle colors, and complimenting patterns of flowers or polka dots. Not that Petra had lost any of her femininity over the years, but she had always seemed to be more comfortable in her skin, a freeness to her personality and a sort of charm that didn't _need_ dresses or jewelry to speak to her femininity.

For as long as he had known Petra, she had always seemed to prefer pants, clothes that favored her mobility or outfits that were practical for her lifestyle. However, now that he thought of it, he did recall Petra mentioning that she had enjoyed getting dressed up for the Officer's banquet, and damn, he remembered just how good she had looked, wearing something meant to _show off_ the body of a woman – so perhaps that side of her had in fact been there all along, but had merely been put aside in favor of her blending in with her male comrades.

Levi set the bags down on the closet floor, lining them neatly against the back wall and taking another glance around her simple room as he moved back toward the hallway in a quiet, pensive stupor. From what he could tell, her life here – they certainly hadn't been living in poverty by any means, but it was clear that her background was more humble in nature, simple and holistic. It explained so much of her, in both her contentment for what the military life could never provide her, as well as her hunger for a different life that she believed might be possible outside of the Walls.

Levi moved back into the main room, where Petra and her father were literally _shouting_ at each other, causing Levi to all but grimace as he silently walked between them to get the rest of the bags that were still outside with their horses. Yes, though Petra had confirmed it before, after seeing it with his own two eyes, Levi could only agree that he understood full well where she got her temper from.

From inside the house, Petra was all but pacing back and forth as her father and her continued exchanging heated questions and demands, and Petra rubbed her forehead in irritation as her father continued.

"And this time is no different. Just when you get good at something, you back off and high tail it to something else, and you never really commit to any one thing. We both know that one day you're going to wake up, decide you're done with the military, and the problem is, you'll be stuck in a contract for who knows how long! What will you do then, huh?"

Petra put her hands on her hips and groaned, "Oh gee, I wonder. Finish my contract? And then, assuming I'm done with the military at that point and don't want to start a new contract, then I'd just have to go from there. You're not being logical Dad, just because I may not have pursued a career or whatever in certain areas of my life doesn't mean my time was outright wasted. Everything has a season. Granted, to your point I may not be in the military forever, but it's where I am now so-"

"Yes Baby girl, everything has a season, and right now you are wasting your youth when you should be thinking about, you know, settling down, starting a family, investing in the path that the rest of your life is going to take you down, and not some short, in the moment fling. You need to invest in your _future_ Baby, and the military just isn't it for you. You have no future there!"

Petra gave her father a serious look and shook her head, "To you. In your eyes, I have no future there, but honestly Dad, that's just your opinion. Many people have lifelong careers in the military. Captain is a good example, the Commander of the Scouts is another, the head of the three factions, he's an older gentleman that's been around for some forty plus years – Dad, I have options. And I'm good at it. I don't think you understand just _how_ good I am. I'm sorry that my future doesn't look the way you want it to but-"

"You're going to _die_, Petra. See, that's how they get you in to start with. They show you people who are successful, and make you think that you too can be like them, that you're something of a rarity or that you've got some unique little gift that will help you go far, and three months later you're being wheeled home in a body bag. I know you think you've got it all figured out, and that you'll be like your Captain or whatever, but Petra, let me just remind you: He is Humanity's Strongest. _He_ is. _You _are not. _You're_ just lucky to still be here at all."

When Petra's mouth fell open, a look of shock and clear offense that confirmed he had officially struck a chord with her, her father shook his head and laughed, "Oh, did my prideful little daughter actually _fall _for that lie after all? Petra, you're far too easily manipulated. You said that he asked you, right? That your Captain proposed to you, and the idea originally came from him? Well have you ever wondered if it was simply because they are all so desperate, so willing to exploit others in their bloodthirst, that your Captain asked you to marry him strictly because they wanted to keep their numbers up and their attrition low? I've seen a lot of things in my day, and if you don't think the military has done its own share of misdeeds then you're gravely mistaken."

"Dad, you clearly don't know anything. That's not how the military works! Well, I mean, it is in some areas, but-"

"But not your Captain? Right, I'm sure he's a swell, stand up guy that only wants what's best for you, right? If that were true, he would have let you come back home where it's safe. But no. He _married_ you instead. And you had the gall to bring him here, under my own roof, as though you are actually expecting me to treat the both of you like a proper husband and wife even though your marriage is just a sham; a mere formality to keep you in the military and nothing more."

Petra remained silent, giving her father a bitter stare, and the man continued, "Here you are defending him and acting like you've got such a deep bond - we both know that you married the man because you _had_ to, nothing more. I know how you felt about him because you _told_ me as much – you had _respect_ for the guy but I know full well you weren't in love with him, and I'm getting pretty strong vibes that he wasn't all that into you either. Face it, your marriage to that man is meaningless. He's just using you as a means to an end, in the same way that you are using him. Honestly, I'm extremely disappointed in you Petra, because I raised you better than that."

Petra was looking into the floor, her voice a more subdued, but enraged tone of warning, "Don't. Don't speak about things you know nothing about. You don't know Levi. You don't know his heart. And don't…don't you dare tell me that my marriage is meaningless. It's not meaningless to me, Dad. It happens to mean a lot to me, actually, so you can go and fuck yourself for all I care because-"

There was a sharp gasp of offense from her father, having _never_ heard his daughter speak in such a vulgar manner, and before Petra could even finish her sentence, he had taken a large step toward her and, with a single flick of his wrist, backhanded her outright.

As her father's hand met the side of her face in a brutal and painful smack, Petra had stumbled to one side for a few steps from the sheer force behind his action, giving a startled cry in a mix of surprise and undeniable pain, at once bringing a hand to her face as she tried to regain her bearings because her ears were ringing.

"Young lady, you will _not_ speak to me in such a disrespectful manner, is that understood? You are in my house, and as long as you are in my house, you will treat me with respect!"

When Petra didn't respond, her father crossed his arms at her still bent in half form, furious at his daughter's unbecoming behavior and suspicious she was intentionally avoiding the question. His eyes narrowed, "Petra. _Is _that understood?"

It was then that Levi moved back into the room, carrying yet another armload of luggage, and all at once he saw a very clearly angered man, _considerably_ more angry than what he had been before, and then a bent in half Petra, a hand over the side of her face and somewhat frozen midmotion, in a manner that spoke to something being wrong – very wrong.

Her father was watching her with a murderous stare, and Petra was still stuck in place, her body tensed and coiled in what appeared to be…pain.

"What happened?" he found himself demanding, a sharp and furious growl tearing from his throat, and at the sound of his voice, Petra jolted and stood up, slowly rubbing her cheek and giving a small nod toward Levi as though preemptively trying to hold him off, her eyes red and glassy from unshed tears. At first he was confused, because what the hell could have _happened _in the last five minutes, but his mouth fell open when he noticed an unmistakable red welt growing over the side of her face, a welt that very strongly resembled the outline of a hand, and his eyes widened in sheer outrage.

His lips came together in a snap, already preparing to drop what was in his arms and make his way toward her father, when Petra waved her hand more fiercely and cleared her throat, "Dad." She looked up toward her father and took a deep, shaking breath, "I understand that you're mad, but you need to get it through your head that I'm not a little girl anymore. I'm twenty-four years old now; well old enough to live my own life and make my own decisions and my own mistakes. When are you going to learn that…"

Petra swallowed as she tried to force herself to respond, finding tears in her eyes in a mix of anger, embarrassment, and shame, "That you can't_ force_ me? It didn't work when I was a girl, didn't work when I graduated out of training, and didn't work when you tried to bring me home by force either. Dad, the more you fight it the harder it's going to make it for both of us. Why can't you just accept it? I am going to live my life the way I want, regardless of what you think!"

At that, Petra gave a cough that was _meant _to disguise the fact she was crying, stubborn and proud to her core even now, and she turned toward the hall and moved out of the room, practically running out as a single tear slipped down her already bruising face.

A thick silence came over the room, and Levi watched the man's expression change, from anger to eventual contemplation and reflection, and Levi forced himself to take a calming, casual breath. He set the bags down onto the floor, and made his way closer toward her father – not overly close, but close enough.

He spoke lightly, "You're a carpenter, right? That's what Petra said at least. You have any specialties, or are you more of an all-around handy man?"

Her father blinked at the question, clearly taken off guard by the sudden conversation, and he responded hesitantly, "Furniture mostly. Cabinets, kitchen tables, dressers, that sort of thing, but I've done my fair share of framing, wood carving, repairs and mending, house calls, you name it. Why?"

Her father's tone had shifted to one of obvious suspicion at the end, and Levi had to bite back a smirk, because these two really were so similar and he doubted either of them could even see it. Petra had _also_ been extremely guarded the first time he had talked with her, had that same bad attitude, and her inconvenienced glare was a dead ringer. Under any other situation, he might have found the detail to be amusing.

"Some job titles are pretty cut and dry, where hearing the title alone really tells you all you need to know about their line of work, but other times when you hear a title like mine, say 'Captain' or 'Commanding Officer' – in some ways it's a little more vague. By all accounts, you may not be familiar with what it is I do in the military." The man's green eyes narrowed, though Levi wasn't put off in the slightest and continued, "As a Commanding Officer, I am held responsible for the success of my team. It's my job to create an environment where they can succeed and develop their skills, that way when we go outside the Walls and face the Titans head on, they are successful and get to come back home in one piece. So far, I haven't lost any of my subordinates in six years – a rather astounding record in the Scout Regiment - because I happen to take my job very seriously."

"Do you have a_ point_ in all of this, boy?"

"Just one. Not that you would know, but Petra broke her ankle after a training accident a little over a month ago now. She just had her cast taken off, all her stitches removed, where even if you can't see it at first glance, I can assure you that her body is very much still in a healing state."

Levi watched as her father's eyes widened, a bit of remorse and horror clearly over his face as he took in his explanation, and Levi paid him no mind nor pity as he crossed his arms and continued, "As you can imagine, it's quite important that she be given time to rest and rebuild her strength. Her rehabilitation falls under my command, and so it is under my guidance and permission that she is here at all, while in those final stages of recovery. However, if I should see that this household is _not _a healthy environment for her – if being here doesn't allow her to heal and only invites further injury – rest assured that I will find her a _new_ environment to reside in that's perhaps a bit more conducive."

There was a sudden tenseness that filled the space between them, and Petra's father watched him with obvious anger, "What are – are you threatening me? With my own daughter? You little punk! How about-"

Levi's eyes narrowed and he cut the man off with a quiet, embittered laugh, "Alright. Let me say this in a way _you_ of all people should understand, considering the little stunt you tried to pull by reducing your daughter to a mere asset. Because of the marriage, your daughter is now _my _wife. She is since viewed as_ my _complete and legal property, _not_ yours, and as you're well aware, that changes some things."

Levi took a single step toward the man, looking at him with a firm stare that had made men twice his size quake in their boots; his hands balled tightly in restraint against the sides of his chest even now, because there were much simpler ways to solve problems like this, but Petra would be upset because deserved or not, this was her old man.

"Allow me to make something perfectly clear." Levi's voice was a mere whisper, yet even still, her father had gone considerably pale at his chilling, simple threat because his quiet voice still managed to reflect his barely contained, overwhelming rage, "I don't care_ who _the hell you are in regards towards Petra; if I see you _damage_ my property again, we're going to have a fucking problem."

At that, he walked back toward the bags, picked them up, and moved down the hall without so much as sparing the man a passing glance.

…

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End of Chapter

* * *

…

And thus, Levi has officially met Petra's father.

Fun little fact – and please remember we'll see more of Petra's father than just this one interaction – but this was the first chapter in the entire series that actually made me tear up a little while writing it out that first time around. You know, the very first reunion where Petra sees her dad and it's been two years and they are just staring at each other wondering what they're supposed to do? Yep. I've got family overseas and I don't get to see them often, so moments like that where there are those bittersweet moments after years apart, knowing its only a small amount of time until they have to leave again for another long, long time – honestly, I doubt I wrote it out right, and I'm not sure I could gasp that moment and paint it out with the written word, but none the less.

There's a lot in this chapter, of course, and I love Levi's sharp mind that's already puzzle piecing some of Petra's life and mannerisms together, simply after doing one walk through of her childhood home. Of course, we love Erwin and he's as sharp as a tack, but a certain Ackerman also has a very analytical mind and an eye for detail, so it's good to get to speak to some of Petra's character and slowly get to unveil some of her weird quirks and the situations that lead her to where she is today.

Wellll, I do feel I've said quite enough. Hopefully yall loved Levi's presence and his taking a strand at the end, cause that last line always gives me chills haha. Thanks yall for your constant support and your excitement for the upcoming chapters. Yall are the best and it really helps me get through the week.

~Mid


	62. The One with the Judgemental Savages

Morning guys!

Well, as always, hasn't this just been a crazy week for those who are stateside? I'm telling yall, 2020 has got to be just about the weirdest year I've seen in my day. Of course, this isn't exactly the place to discuss these things, so as always, I'll just say it like this: Stay humble, stay safe, and always be kind. Always, always, always be kind.

As a heads up, I've got a little number of business to discuss at the bottom, but other than that, business as usual. Onto the chapter!

…

* * *

…

Levi had moved toward her bedroom door, remaining luggage in hand as he somewhat announced his arrival passively. "Oi Petra, it's me." he stated softly with a light knock, already opening the door as he spoke, but his hand stalled stubbornly in place when the doorknob didn't budge, and he couldn't help the sigh that left his lips.

It seemed that Petra, in her embarrassment and shame, had locked the door.

"Come on, open up." He stated flatly into the wooden surface, knowing that she wanted to be left alone but even still, he couldn't deny the nagging sensation to check on her, and what was more, he felt silly just standing in the hallway with their remaining bags out in the open like this. Where else was he supposed to go? Back into the main room – make small talk with her father?

Absolutely not.

She responded after a moment, her voice muffled through the doorway, "No, just…just give me a minute, okay? You've still got to put the horses away, and maybe…well, if you wanted to wash up from the trip, I'm sure you saw the bathroom in the hallway. I'll be fine Captain, I just-" There was a sniffle, and she continued, "I may be upset, but it's fine - I don't need to be babied. I just need a moment to-"

As she had been speaking, Levi had already kneeled to the ground, rolling his eyes at her words and her weak attempts to thwart him off, and after a few moments of focus, the handle gave a satisfying click, and he opened the door with ease.

Petra's sentence trailed off as he suddenly entered the once locked bedroom, her eyes wide as she sat up from her hunched over position at the edge of the bed, looking first toward him, then back to the door in a moment of puzzlement. After a moment, a despairing look came over her face, slow realization coming to her at last. She dropped her head back into her hands with a sort of defeated, humiliated cry, "Captain, y-you picked the lock, didn't you?!"

"Well you weren't going to let me in and-"

She looked up from her hands and gave him a tearful, desperate and wide-eyed stare, "Does this mean I'm the only person on the _whole_ squad who doesn't know how? What's the point of even _having_ a lock on my door if everyone can just come and go as they please! The guys have broken in while I'm sleeping, now you're breaking in here when I just want a moment to myself – Tell me this Captain, why even have my own room, when privacy clearly means nothing to you or the guys? Hell, I should just share a room with them, it'd be the same damn thing!"

Levi was confused by her sudden tirade, not sure what the hell may have sparked this little issue but knowing better than to follow after that rabbit trail when she was in a mood like this. Either way, he made a mental note to verify her complaints regarding her bedroom being broken into, because that was crossing major lines that _would_ be addressed. In the meantime, he could only watch her in growing annoyance, "Petra. Stop avoiding the subject because you know full well that we're going to talk about it. And as for me being able to pick a lock, why the hell does that even matter right now? Your dad just slapped the shit out of you, so something like this should be the least of your worries."

A mere groan was his response, and when it became clear that Petra had no intention of facing that dialogue on her own, Levi's expression softened at the obvious shame she was blanketed under. He merely walked into the room, leaving their luggage forgotten about in the hallway as he took a seat beside her; a sudden seriousness falling between them. He wasn't looking at her, but rather toward the wall as he spoke lightly, "So…you okay or whatever?"

From his peripheral vision, he saw Petra give a dark smirk as she sat up more fully, rubbing her still red cheek, "I'm fine. I mean, obviously it hurt, but in terms of injury, I've suffered worse of course. I guess it's more the sheer embarrassment than anything else. I'm a grown woman, but after getting scolded by my father, backhanded, and then running off to sulk in my room…well, I guess it makes me feel like a child all over again. And to top it all off, the fact you had to see me like that when I'm a professionally trained soldier…I know it's silly, but I just feel kinda low and useless. I'm sorry Captain, if I let you down back there. I must have looked pretty pathetic to someone like you."

A long silence fell over the room, and Levi continued evenly, his expression blank but his words coming out with a certain bite to them because why the fuck was _Petra_ apologizing to him? He took a calming breath, "I get everyone has a different home-life, and it seems that a lot of Scouts tend to come from fucked up origins, but honestly…you could have given me the heads up, you know, that your Dad was the sort that knocked you around like this. Had I known that, I wouldn't have left you alone and-"

Petra was already shaking her head, a thoughtful expression across her face as she cut him off, "Levi, he's not. Really."

"You know, I would find that to be a bit more believable if it weren't for the hand print across your face. I get it can be easier to make excuses or say it's not so bad, but I'm just calling it what it is and-"

Petra again shook her head, rubbing her cheek and speaking further on the matter, "I suppose you aren't wrong, but I feel you should know that he's actually never hit me before, that was a first. I mean, sure, I got spanked as a kid but nothing more than mere discipline that for the most part, I usually brought on myself."

Levi's expression turned equally pensive at her clarification, and Petra found herself smirking, despite the grimness of the situation, "Granted, in_ his_ defense, I've never told him to go fuck himself before, so perhaps that's part of it. He's always hated cursing, or really vulgarity of any kind, and I imagine the big bad F bomb was probably what did me in. All in all, it shouldn't be a problem as long as I watch my mouth over these next few weeks."

Levi turned to face her more directly, his expression incredulous, "Wait, the reason he hit you was…because of your _language?_" When Petra gave a nod, Levi was shaking his head, a smirk coming to his lips as a sense of both justice and irony came to him at once.

"Wait, what's so funny?"

His grin widened all the more, and he found a slight chuckle leaving his lips the more he thought about it, "Nothing. Just realizing that what I said to your Dad after you left, well, I don't think I could have worded it any better is all."

Petra's brows drew together in question, "What you said to him after I left? What…what did you say?"

Levi merely shrugged, "In summation, I told him the same thing that I'm about to tell you. First though, I want to repeat that for the most part, I'm intentionally not acting as your 'Commanding Officer' while we're out here. It's…this is different than that, and I don't want to make you feel that you have to do things my way just because of how things are back home."

When Petra watched him hesitantly, Levi returned her stare and spoke with authority because for something like this, he _would _play the role as her Captain because it mattered, and he would not sit idly by and watch her be assaulted. "If that's the kind of treatment you can expect to receive while you're here, then I'll tell you here and now that we'll be staying somewhere else. We can still make frequent visits, stop by for breakfast and dinner, late night coffee or whatever you want once I'm back from the Garrison, but if your father plans to make a habit of knocking you around like that, then I don't want him around you unless I'm also present in the same room. You need to heal, and your dad trying to force you to obey him through means like that – sorry if you thought I would take a more passive role or turn a blind eye to it, but as your Captain and husband, I won't stand for it."

At his explanation, Petra looked into the floor, giving a slight shake of her head, "Thanks Levi, but you don't have to worry about that, honest. The whole situation is unprecedented, and it's put him on edge to be sure, but he's truly rather gentle. The same way I'd defend_ your_ character to anyone, please understand that even as bad as that may have looked, my father is a good man, and he means a lot to me."

"I know."

Petra looked toward Levi, giving him a playful smirk, "Honestly Captain, I have to admit that I'm kind of surprised to hear you're so passionate about this. Aren't you someone who_ frequently_ uses pain to 'instill discipline' or whatever? Being a member of your squad, I happen to know better than most that you have no problem swinging your fists around in order to make a point."

Levi's expression turned somewhat reflective and he watched her for an extended moment, "Sure, and I have no shame about it either, but have you noticed that I've never turned my fists against _you?_ Granted you haven't been spared completely over the years, but I don't think I've ever outright _hit _you before, not like I have the guys at least. You don't think there's a reason for that?"

At Levi's question that confirmed it wasn't mere chance that had created her good fortune over the years, she realized that she hadn't ever thought much about it, and merely gave a shrug as she watched him with a mystified stare, "Let me guess, because I'm a girl?"

While there was perhaps some truth to that, Levi shook his head and motioned toward her with a tilt of his head, "How you are feeling right now, your reaction to it all – this is _exactly_ the reason why. Your father hitting you in an act of discipline has left you embarrassed, cowering in your room and ashamed of yourself. His goal, to some extent, is to _break _your spirit so you behave in a manner that he sees as more fitting."

Levi took a breath and looked back toward the wall in contemplation, "When I knock the guys around – it makes them fucking _livid._ They want nothing more than to fight right back; to prove their strength and make me eat my words. That sort of violent coaching pushes them to try harder because their pride has been pricked and it curbs their performance instantly. But you Petra, you're different. I can't coach you like I do the men on the squad, and I knew that from the first moment I met you. If I hit you, even if it would be 'justified' in my role as your Captain, you'd be crushed. Sure you'd put on a brave face for the time being, but the second you got off duty, you'd run into your room, cry for a while, and struggle to look me in the eye for days because you'd take it far more personally than it was ever meant." Levi shook his head, almost speaking to himself as he stated simply, "And that…that's not what I'm after when I coach you, or Eld, or anyone else. My goal _isn't _to break you, it's to build you up. I have no use for people that are timid or weak and have no ambition. If I forced you all to obey by purposefully crushing your spirits, it would ruin the team, and destroy the Scouts. It's absolutely vital that as I coach and direct you all, you feel supported and empowered, not disarmed and belittled."

Petra was admittedly surprised by her Captain's words, shocked to hear his reasoning and surprised even more to hear that he had actually thought about it this much. She couldn't help the sudden curiosity that came over her, a nervousness in her voice as she found herself asking timidly, "And…how do you do that?"

A shadow of a smile pulled at his lips, and Levi stood up from the bed as he looked down at her simply, "For you? I thought that would be obvious by now, Petra. In some ways, you're actually the easiest to coach on my squad, because in terms of correction, in terms of reaching you and encouraging you to improve your behavior and performance, all it takes is talking to you, just like this."

When she blinked, watching him in silent wonder and almost skeptical at his claims because the simplicity of his summation was almost insulting, Levi gave a shrug as he moved back toward the hall as though sensing her distaste, "Think what you will, but results don't lie. Just now, well…got you to stop crying easily enough, right?"

His simple – accurate – statement had caught her off guard all the more, and as Levi moved the luggage into the room, packing them into the closet alongside the others, he struggled to keep the smirk off his lips.

…

* * *

…

"So Dad," Petra asked with a forced chipperness, poking at her dinner plate in a nervous manner, "I know it's just about that time of year where the orders keep coming in one after another. Is business treating you well so far; keeping you busy?"

At the head of the dinner table sat her father, and between them, just to her right, sat Levi.

Her father was watching Levi eat, his eyes narrowed as he stared at him outright, and at Petra's question, her father gave a single, quipped nod, "Yup."

That was all he said, not a word more, and Petra found herself giving a quiet nod in return, looking back into her plate of food and slowly taking another bite.

Well, this was uncomfortable.

It had taken a bit of time to unpack, and eventually Petra had given Levi a tour of the house. She showed him the rather cluttered bathroom (she swore that she'd clean it up before they went to bed, because she knew Levi wouldn't step foot in such an unkempt area), showed him where the towels and clean linens were located, gave him an in-depth tour of the kitchen and where the dishes were put away, versus the cleaning products, versus the actual food, versus the baking ingredients – and Levi stated with a mumble that there was no way he'd remember everything she was showing him because it's not like those details were all that important anyway – it wasn't like he'd be baking cupcakes or anything.

None the less, Petra insisted that she at least treat him like a proper guest, considering her father certainly wasn't going to, and stubbornly continued to show him every inch of the living space. She had shown off her bedroom, which he was already acquainted with, the hallway, the storage closets and the linen closets, the bathroom, which she pointed out actually had two doors, one from inside of the house and another that served as a back door – it seemed her father didn't like tracking sawdust into the house so he usually came in from the back and cleaned up before moving into the house - as well as any other unimportant, irrelevant details that she could think of along the way. Levi had begrudgingly followed behind her and gave mere grunts of acknowledgement when he felt appropriate, because more than Petra trying to be a proper 'host', it was clear to him that she was still shaken up by her father slapping her, and as a result, she was doing all this merely from a sheer need to be busy.

When the house had thoroughly been shown off, (it wasn't all that big) she had taken him outside where they had a surprisingly spacious amount of property. Levi hadn't been certain if the large clearing behind the house was in fact their land or not, and Petra nodded and said that her father needed the space to house all the raw materials; mostly for when the trees were delivered each summer.

As they walked around toward the expanse of land, Petra gave a casual wave and confirmed that he was already familiar with their stable. She had moved further onto the property and showed him the small chicken coop that rested against the backend of the house. She stated with a nostalgic sort of grin that her father had always enjoyed the fresh eggs, but hated getting pecked and scratched at, so back when she was still living at home, collecting the eggs each morning had always been her job. Even still, considering each new flock of chickens was replaced every year or so, Petra had sighed wistfully and confirmed that she couldn't speak to how this particular batch of chickens behaved, but she _was _looking forward to learning, because each flock always had such a 'unique' personality and he'd 'see what she meant' in a few days.

Levi had no idea what to make of that, not certain if he had ever come within ten feet of a live chicken before, let alone a whole herd of the awkward and squawking vermin, and he merely followed after her in slight puzzlement, looking back over his shoulder toward the chicken coop and frowning when one of the chickens actually returned his stare with a single, perfectly black and bulbous eye.

His frown deepened as the chicken seemed to stare him down all the more, and Levi found himself mentally sympathizing with Petra's father to some extent, because just like that, Levi found that he also had_ no_ interest in approaching the strange, twitchy, and apparently _judgmental_ little savages.

After that, Petra had moved even further back onto their property and showed off her Dad's workshop - a space that was almost the same size, if not _larger_ than the house itself. When they had walked in, much to Petra's surprise, her father had already been inside, bent over an upside-down table, sanding the legs and looking at the piece with a critical stare.

"Oh, sorry. Didn't know you were working. Hope you don't mind, but I'm showing Levi around and thought I'd bring him back here as well." As they walked into the large space, the older man looked up from his task, giving a long stare toward Petra as though uncertain how he felt about it, but then gave a subtle nod and returned back toward his project without issue.

Petra looked toward Levi and motioned around the area with a wave, "You can look around if you want - as you can imagine everything's pretty hands on, so don't feel like you'll break anything or whatever. It's fine."

Before Levi could respond, Petra had walked off and made her way toward her father, a curiosity evident in the way she gravitated toward the man outright. To some extent, Levi didn't feel the need to follow after her, and instead he began moving along the perimeter of the large warehouse like room, looking at the various projects her father was working on; one side of the room flanked with alternating types of wood and different materials, and the other lined with a diverse series of tools and blades that were needed for the man's trade.

Regardless the considerable distance between them, Levi could still overhear their conversation as Petra finally neared her father. "So Dad…what're you working on here? Looks like you're almost done from the looks of things."

"Yep. This here is shaping up to be a large dining table – three separate pieces in fact. It's pretty heavy, and so I'm trying to get the leg shape just right; you know, make sure it still looks good but functions perfectly, because these poor legs will really have their work cut out for them over the years. It's solid oak."

Petra nodded, certainly not a carpenter herself, but rather familiar with the trade and certainly more skilled than the average civilian, because she had grown up with it.

He gave the base of the table a sort of slap, patting it with a look of pride as he explained further, "I've actually got a delivery set up for the end of the week. I'm a little behind schedule, but it's nothing I can't make up for. Don't get me wrong Baby, I really appreciate that you came home and all, but you know that I've still got my work to get done, so I won't have all that much time each day to just sit around and catch up. These projects won't finish themselves."

Petra waved a hand and looked down toward the table, admiring the work her father had done thus far and speaking simply as she traced the smooth planes of the table's edging, "No. I know that you're busy Dad, so don't even worry about it. Truth be told, we've _all _got our little projects to see to, to some extent. Captain will be training at the Garrison outpost, you've got all this to run, and I'm also trying to strengthen up a little bit. I had an accident a bit ago during training, so I'm hoping to take this time to stretch out, start exercising again, work my way up to where I used to be – that sort of thing."

As her father heard her words, he stood up more fully and nodded toward her with a guilty expression, "And speaking of which, that reminds me. About earlier, Princess? I know we're going to fuss and squabble - and we've got _a lot_ more to talk about young lady - but I'm sorry for how I behaved earlier. I'm not happy with how things have gone over this last year, and I certainly am not happy about how you chose to speak to me, but none the less, I don't want to treat you like that and I'm sorry that my initial reaction got the best of me."

Petra chewed her bottom lip, giving a muted nod in return as she struggled to meet the man's gaze, "I know. You have a temper, and so do I, and you're right, we _do_ have a lot more to talk about, but I'll try to be a bit more intentional with the words I say, and not speak in a manner that will make you feel disrespected. We've both got room to grow on that front, I suppose. Believe it or not but it's not my outright intention to fight this whole time; I'm here to make it right. I don't want to leave and feel like there's still all this tension between us."

Her father smiled then, reaching toward her and ruffling her hair with a sweep of his hand, "See, that's more like it already. And you know Baby, just look at this hair; I haven't seen you with hair this long since you were a teenager! Did you know your mother used to wear her hair like this, maybe just a few inches longer?"

Petra had swatted at her father's hands with a giggle, straightening up with sudden interest at his words, "No kidding?"

"It's the truth. Granted, she didn't wear it down of course. She was quite the lady, and always had it curled and styled – you know, pinned up and so elegant. Your mom had the most beautiful hair; and you're lucky you know, you got the same rare and vibrant color. Every time I see it, it reminds me of her." Her father gave a pleased sigh, then nodded toward Petra knowingly, "You know, if you grew out your hair just a little more, I can promise you that it'd look real nice baby; elegant and refined – just like your mama."

Petra gave a shake of her head and shrugged, "Maybe. I just don't want it to get in the way, you know? It would be a real pain if it got snagged while I were flying through the air with my 3DM gear, and I doubt you'd say that I looked like mom if I had eight bald patches from where my hair got ripped out along the way. Probably wouldn't look all that elegant like you're picturing."

From across the room, there was a distinct snort from Levi – apparently_ he_ had found her words to be funny at least – and her father merely rolled his eyes with a displeased grumble, not amused by the Captain's wordless input. He crossed his arms and fixed Levi with a long stare, "I suppose."

As his gaze lingered on Levi, who was still looking around the area with what appeared to be legitimate interest, clearly unaware of her father's growing irritation, Petra cleared her throat because she didn't want to intentionally bring on another round of arguments when they could be side stepped with some well-timed distance.

She had cleared her throat to grab Levi's attention, then gave a polite wave toward her father as she walked toward the large doorway, "Well Dad, listen, we really don't want to keep you too long. I was just showing the Captain around is all. We'll leave you be, and we'll see you at dinner."

Petra had been _hoping_ at least, that the distance this afternoon would have helped, however as they sat around the dinner table, she had all but resigned herself to her miserable fate, because it was obvious the two men had very little interest in getting along. Her father was _still_ staring at Levi with obvious distaste, as though hoping his silent and seething disapproval would eventually get under the Captain's skin, and in return, Levi was going on as though completely unaware of her father's agitation - making a _point _of being casual – because it was clear that his aloof and quiet nature was successfully irritating the older man, and in some ways, Petra knew that he was annoying him on purpose.

She wasn't sure who's side to take on that front, considering they were both being childish, and so she merely stared at her food and decided to keep out of it, because if her father wanted to try and glare a hole straight into his skin, if Levi wanted to be an absolute pain in the ass, then who was she to stand in their way.

The silence continued on for a good ten minutes, and finally her father set his fork down with a huff and all but growled, "I really,_ really_ dislike you, boy."

Levi, not surprisingly, had hardly even blinked at the sudden outburst – his expression remaining completely unphased as he quietly chewed and swallowed what was in his mouth, and merely gave a simple nod as he reached for his glass of water, "Yeah. I get that a lot."

Her father's eyes narrowed all the more and he shook his head in scathing wonder, almost mumbling to himself as he responded bitterly, "_I'll bet you do._"

When Levi said nothing and Petra made a point of remaining quiet – although her lips tightened into a thin line at her father's disrespectful words – her father leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms, "Alright, so lets just cut to the chase here and now. I wanted you to come back home; I _demanded _that you come back home Petra, and _you-" _his attention turned back toward Levi with a snap, "thought it best that you marry my daughter outright as though trying to spite me. These are_ family_ matters that don't concern the staff of the military, and you boy, are _not_ family. You should know full well that I am not happy; I do _not_ support your marriage, I think you're a miserable coward, and the only thing I'll _ever_ want from you_,_ is to get out of Petra's life and let her be!"

It seemed Levi had heard enough, because he took a breath and began speaking with equal ferocity, unable to keep to his previous silence now that her father was making a more direct attempt at conflict, "And I've got no problem with that. Petra is _welcome_ to walk away. In three and a half years, when her new, _completely legal_ contract is fulfilled. Until then however, she stays with me."

Her father gave a spiteful laugh, "Right, and all because of your so-called marriage? Yeah, now we'll just have to see about that. I plan to have your entire little ceremony investigated, down to the smallest of details, so you _better_ hope that everything checks out boy, because if I find even a single thing out of place, I'm taking my daughter back, and suing the Scout's right out of existence. Good luck flying when your wings get clipped."

Levi's eyes narrowed and he held the older man's gaze with an angered, challenging stare, his lips curling into a sneer as he spoke, "I guess we'll just have to see how your little investigation pans out then, won't we? Fair warning, I think I'll be flying _just _fine, but thanks for the concern."

Petra stood up with a loud sigh, deciding it was time she intervened with a more gentle hand before things got more heated and the men began shouting at each other or worse. "Alright alright, that's quite enough from both of you." She gave a nod toward Levi and continued, standing up from the table and moving toward her father with light and slowed steps. Her tone was soft, exhausted as she tried to reason with her father because some part of him was clearly caught between a mix of lingering hope and outright denial, "Dad, _without_ the bad attitude that Captain's got right now, I can tell you that it really was a real, legitimate wedding ceremony. I'm not trying to make you mad, but Levi's right. You can challenge or review whatever details you want because it _will _hold up in court. It was _approved_ by the courts, for Maria's sake, so you're just going to wind up disappointed. We had the witnesses, the officiant, the rings, the vows, the contracts and the name change – everything."

She gave her father a compassionate sigh and found herself crouching on the floor beside him so she could watch him more directly, "Dad. I really_ am_ married, and Levi really _is_ my husband. I married him just shy of six months ago, _before_ my contract expired. Legally speaking, I am his wife, my legal name is Petra Marie _Ackerman_, and with that change of household, I signed a new legal contract – exactly as Levi said."

As Petra spoke, her father gave a long and deep sigh, a note of uncertainty in his gaze as he mentally tried to come to terms with all that Petra was saying to him, and as she watched her father, watched the pain and the anguish come over his face as though uncertain of his next move, Petra had to clear her throat because the back of her eyes were beginning to burn, "I'm not here to beg you to change your mind or ask for your permission. At this point Dad, well…I don't_ need_ your permission anymore. I'm here right now because I love you and I don't want this to ruin our relationship for years on end. We can fight, or scream at each other and you can threaten Levi till kingdom come, but you need to understand that once these two and a half weeks are up, that's it. After that, whatever is said or isn't said…I'm going back_ home,_ with my Captain. I'll miss you, and I'll write you, and I'll think of you every day, but I'm _still _going back with him, and that's not about to change."

Her father looked up toward her, his face laced with a twinge of desperation, and after a moment of silence passed, he gave a long, long sigh. He shifted in his chair and shook his head, raising his arm as he reached toward her intentionally. As his arm moved toward her, Levi had tensed, already preparing to get up at a moment's notice, but instead of moving with force, her father's actions were slowed and he merely grabbed her hand – specifically her left hand – and he held it up for observation, his eyes falling on the ring that sat proudly on her finger with a studious, firm expression.

He looked at the ring for the longest time, his jaw set firmly as he studied the small object. It had caught his eye before, but he hadn't really had the opportunity to look it over until now. As he spoke, he continued looking down at Petra's hand, not being bothered enough to look up for even a moment, "Tell me boy, did _you_ get her this?"

The older man's voice seemed to echo across the room, and Levi looked at Petra first, then her father with a hesitant stare, uncertain of how he should respond because he couldn't gauge if the man was setting him up for another fight or not. Eventually Levi looked toward the older man and responded with an honest nod, "…Yeah."

Her father nodded only once, holding Petra's hand up even closer to give the ring one final inspection, and he eventually released her hand with a sigh, "It's nice."

He looked toward Levi and whispered softly, "The ring at least…at least _that_ suits her."

The man gave a sudden, empty laugh and stood up with a nod, "Well…I don't like it, at all. I'm furious baby; I think you're making a big mistake, and I think _that_ arrogant punk needs to be taught a thing or two about respect, because I am your father and he'd do well to remember that I know you a great deal more than he could possibly imagine. But." The man paused and gave a subtle nod toward Levi, and then a half smile toward Petra, "I think we've all done enough fighting for one day, right? I know you're both tired and it truly wasn't my intention to spend the day being at constant odds like this. Come and give me a hug, because it's a father's privilege to dote on his daughter, and even with everything that's happened, I want you to know that I've missed you so much and I really love it when you get to be home with me like this."

Levi bristled at the strangely affectionate words of her father, although Petra seemed to be more than used to it, because she merely smiled and wrapped her arms around him tightly. Levi watched in interest as her father returned her hug, rubbing her back for a moment and Petra sighed with contentment, and once she pulled away from him, he mussed her hair with a half smirk.

"Night Princess, love you." he tapped her on the very tip of her nose – a disgusting, cutesy display that almost made Levi cringe – although as Petra watched the man walk away and she rubbed her nose with an ever growing, beaming smile that confirmed the action was nothing but charming to her; that she had actually enjoyed the small gesture…Levi realized with sudden clarity that that was why Petra had always responded so well to _him _in the past.

When he had made her mad, when she was emotionally at odds, when he didn't know what to say but still wanted to tell her _something_, Levi often resorted to communicating things with her through his touch and actions because words often failed him so easily. He would hold her, kiss her, rest his hands across her hips and allow his fingertips to tighten into her skin with claim and possessiveness. Even if he couldn't find the words in the moment, he wanted her to feel that she was wanted – that _he _wanted her - so completely and that he wasn't strong enough to ever leave her. He would run his nose up her neck, nip at her skin, do whatever felt right to him in the moment because Petra accepted his touch and had always welcomed his advances without question.

This was why, and it all made perfect sense to him now.

It seemed that Petra's father was _also_ someone who communicated best in a physical manner – be it anger that led to his previous slapping her, to embracing her, rubbing her back in efforts to smooth over the tension between them, or touching her hair to tease her and cajole her laughter. Petra was _used_ to physical touch being used as a form of intentional communication, as a way to express anger or delight or wistfulness, and Levi almost found himself giving a pleased hum at his discovery, because in some ways he was perhaps fortunate that her father was the sickeningly doting type.

Once the man had left the room, Levi stood up from the table, walking around to where Petra was and wasting no time in reaching out toward her, perhaps feeling a little jealous after watching her father shower her with attention and making her smile like that when he had done nothing to earn it. Levi pulled an arm around her back and pushed her toward him, wanting to soak up that smile and affection because it had been days since he had seen her smile like that. His lips brushed against hers in a slight, featherlight peck meant to tease and entice and he gave her a pointed stare, "You're such a fucking Daddy's girl. Freaking out for three days, smiling like that when he says something nice – should I expect him to come in the room later to tuck you in for bed?"

Petra's lips pulled back into a smile as she rolled her eyes, and she pulled away ever so slightly to give him a reproving look that was only marred by her obvious amusement, "Captain, gods…you're such an asshole. We're ending the day on a somewhat good note, and yeah, that makes me happy."

He grinned and watched her smugly, "Is that so, _Princess?_"

When Petra's grin turned into a wide eyed look of disbelief, clearly not mentally prepared for Levi to call her such a thing, the Captain gave a breath of a chuckle and leaned back into her all the more, dropping his head into her shoulder and kissing the skin over her collarbone as he spoke, "Oh? That doesn't work for you? Doesn't sound right coming from my lips? I'll just have to try something else then, like Sweetheart or Darling; some other disgusting shit because I see how your eyes light up when your dad uses those frilly titles on you. You get off on hearing those sick little nick names, don't you?"

As Levi continued kissing her neck, Petra barely held back a whimper, because Levi had pulled her up against him all the more, and her curves and body was pressed against him so completely that it made her blush. He licked and sucked on the delicate skin of her neck in a way that made her ponder if her knees would give out beneath her. She swallowed thickly and grimaced at the breathy, unfocused whisper that she spoke with, "My dad's always called me those things. It's endearing."

"It's cheesy." Levi corrected, and he bit down on her skin to show his distaste. He smirked at the way Petra trembled, and Levi spoke lowly in thought, still teasing her as he traced his fingers up and down her back languidly, "Then again, I suppose nicknames do have their place. Afterall, I don't know the last time I've called Foureyes by name, and if someone like _that_ gets a nickname, I see no reason why I can't find something more fitting that makes you get that sappy, dumbass grin on your face. Let's think here; what would be fitting for a girl like you? Babe, perhaps? Or maybe Honey, to match your hair? Maybe something a little more sultry or suggestive like-"

"Hey Ackerman," a gruff voice came from the nearby hallway, and both Petra and Levi jumped at the displeased voice of Petra's father, "I for one don't want to hear the end of that sentence, even _if_ you are her husband. While you're here, just plan to keep it in your pants, alright? Oh, and just in case you get tempted and want to give it a go anyway, I think I should warn you that these walls are rather thin, and Petra's not the only light sleeper in the family."

When Levi's mouth dropped open from a mix of surprise, outrage, and sheer cockblocked _horror_ \- her father smirked in overwhelming satisfaction, finally feeling vindicated because it was clear he had officially gotten under the Captain's skin. "So_ that's_ what surprise looks like on that face." the man chided smugly, and Levi's eyes narrowed in temporary defeat. He gave the younger male a pleased, taunting smile and waved with a smirk of his own, "Sweet dreams you two."

Levi pulled his arms away from Petra and bit his inner lip in sudden vexing frustration, not wanting to continue their growing intimacy if it couldn't actually go anywhere, and he mentally cursed Petra's father because he had no, _no_ fucking idea what he had just done. He was assuming that they had already slept together, like everyone else already assumed, and the man would have had no idea that, no, he_ hadn't_ slept with his daughter, but dammit he was fucking_ trying_ to, and the universe was going out of it's way to shut him down at every turn!

When Petra gave a light chuckle of her own, knowing full well that Levi was more than a little uptight in that aspect, she gave him a sympathetic smile and confirmed that they really should get some rest because it had been a long few days and staying up late would only make the morning that much harder on them.

Levi agreed, bitterly, and he allowed Petra to lead him toward her bedroom so they could go to sleep, and _nothing _else. As he walked down the hallway, he could still feel Petra's father staring at him in unspoken satisfaction, and he tried not to shoot him a hateful snarl for his arrogant little 'Sweet dreams' comment.

Unfortunately, Levi already knew_ exactly_ what he would be dreaming about tonight.

…

* * *

End of Chapter

* * *

...

Yes, as a lot of you mentioned, I too felt Levi handled the whole slapping thing very...interesting? Shall we say? I wanted to write that out intentionally, for the obvious reasons of setting the tone and tension between the group, but also to show and bring attention to Levi's jaded background just a bit, in an indirect way. He was certainly surprised to be sure, but from his background, getting knocked around here and there would have been a super common experience for children of the Undergound (at least the way I see it all things considered) so he's not so much as angry as just, you should of told me so we could have prepared for it a bit better. It speaks to his own gentle spirit, in that yes, he _understands_ the black and white 'this is wrong and this is right' but just plain and simple doesn't live in that reality, and therefore thrives best in the greys, where sure it was_ wrong_, but it is what it is and there's nothing to be done but move on.

On a separate note, I'm not one to be insanely arrogant (at least intentionally haha) but I have always felt one of the marks of a good writer is their ability to hone in on small details – not blow them up to make them all encompassing (because after all it is truly a SMALL detail) but giving head nods throughout a story to said small details to help add some dimension to the story – the sounds, the smells, little glances here or there, just some extra sparks to help flesh out what the reader is experiencing without going all out poetic and taking five paragraphs to describe the texture of the cobblestone path they are walking on.

All that to say, Levi's unease around the chickens – perhaps a guilty pleasure of mine - but each time I read it, I just die laughing because it WOULD be something small and harmless that would make him shift uneasily and give said object a rather wide berth regardless the fact its clearly just a harmless thing. Anyhow, enough about the chickens.

As a sad, but honest heads up, **next week I am taking a break** because its vacation and as much as I truly love my writing and my writing community, it will be REALLY inconvenient to update next week. So, alas, for the first time in QUITE some time, there will be NO chapter update on June 7th.

Perhaps some good news,on June 14th chapter updates resume weekly, same as always, and that Wednesday the 17th, I'll post up that last chapter of Vetitan and finish that story up once and for all.

Thanks so much for your support, and I am already looking forward to seeing you guys just as quickly as I can!

~Mid


	63. The One About their Past

Morning everyone!

Man, it is nice to get back into the grove and post a morning update, and let me give a heads up, this is actually a long chapter! I wasn't aware how long it was until I pasted it over, saw the word count and almost laughed. I told myself that the perfect chapter length is about 5k-6k and have somewhat tried to stick close to that mark, and this chapter is just shy of 10k.

I don't normally like giving chapter spoilers, because yall know that as a writer there's not much I'm afraid of if it needs to be addressed, however I AM aware that people come from different backgrounds, different experiences, and different things that make us comfortable or uncomfortable. All that to say, this chapter has some potentially triggering material in it, so please take a few breaths, skim read if need be, and read at your own pace :)

Either way guys, its great to be back. Thanks for so graciously giving me my break, and yall enjoy this chapter! Its actually a fun one, regardless the above disclaimer.

…

* * *

…

When Petra woke up the next morning, she could hear the sound of fabric shifting behind her.

She knew better than to immediately turn off her side and seek out the noise, because it was likely Levi getting dressed, and unlike their large and spacious hotel rooms, there wasn't exactly a lot of room either of them could work with in terms of trying to be discreet about those things.

She rubbed her eyes, sitting up from the bed and keeping her back toward the noise, stretching her arms up above her head as she spoke, "Morning, Captain."

"Yeah." Came his response, and Petra gave a large yawn.

"You still getting dressed or…?"

"Yeah, but I'm dressed enough. It's fine."

Petra gave a lazy nod and readjusted her position on the bed so she could see him, looking over toward Levi as her eyes trailed over the ever-familiar white pants of the military uniform.

"You're planning on going to the Outpost today?" her eyes fell over the laid out pieces of the harness that had been set out over the bed, and Levi disappeared into the closet, coming back out a moment later with a few hangers that held his dress shirt, tan jacket, and the infamous riding cape embroidered with the Wings of Freedom. On his bare shoulder was a familiar bundle of plain white fabric, and Petra found a smile coming to her face as she anticipated getting to watch Levi tie his cravat again.

As he set the hangers across the bed, Petra found herself grinning as she spoke in sudden curiosity, "I'm curious Captain, do you always put your pants on first when you get dressed in the morning? Seems like that would make tucking in your shirt a little more difficult."

He gave a simple shake of his head, "Well you were stirring, and I knew you'd wake up pretty soon."

"Got it." Petra conceded with a nod of her head, and as Levi shifted, she found herself watching him with a lingering stare, and as Levi began pulling his white shirt off the hanger, Petra found herself nodding toward him, "Hey Captain, what's that?"

He hardly even flinched at her vague question, and continued sorting out his things as he tried to prepare for what would undoubtedly be a long day, "Gonna have to be more specific."

Petra's gaze narrowed on his skin and she nodded with focus, "That scar, on your side."

His lip twitched, "Still gonna have to be more specific."

After further inspection, Petra noticed that there were indeed multiple light scars that ran up the expanse of his right side, and she found herself giving an amused shake of her head at his tongue in cheek response. "Very well then Captain." She sat up onto her knees and moved a few paces toward him, jabbing him in the side with a pointed finger, "This scar, right here. What's it from?"

Levi paused from his task, standing up more fully and looking down at his side to where Petra was pointing, trying to sort through his various memories to see if he could recall the cause. Looking down to where she was pointing, he almost chuckled, "Oh that one? Right, that one's not so bad. Back before I was in the military, my associates and I got a few sets of 3DM harnesses and a number of gas tanks after intercepting a Military Police shipment. That was well and all, but none of us really knew how to use any of it. My flatmate Farlan, he and I spent a few days troubleshooting how to put the harness together and actually make the whole thing work."

Petra's mouth had dropped open and she looked at him in amazement, "Wait, so the 3DM gear – do you mean to tell me that you're _self-taught_? Levi that's…amazing…" she had mumbled to herself, and he merely shrugged.

"You can call it that, but those first few attempts aren't exactly what I would call _amazing_; that scar is a _result _of me trying to figure it out on my own. Within a few days I had managed to make a number of sweeping passes between buildings, but there was still a lot we didn't know and a lot of mistakes that were made in the troubleshooting process. For that one, I was midair and fell straight down after creating a poor and unstable anchor point, and I landed smackdab on someone's stairwell. It hurt like a bitch, but it wasn't really all that serious; I'm honestly surprised that it scarred at all because the fall was only like eight or so feet. I remember that Farlan laughed his ass off because he knew I was fine, and looking back, I'm pretty sure I threw a rock at him or something because_ he_ had to get stitches right along with me. He wouldn't talk to me for a week straight after that, but I_ still_ say it serves him right."

Petra was grinning ear to ear at his story, amused outright in hearing that there was something in Levi's life where he hadn't experienced instant success, and she found her eyes scanning over his chest with growing enthusiasm, "Okay…what about this one then?"

Levi held back a sigh, knowing that this was an unintentionally dangerous game she was trying to play, and he tried to keep his face relaxed, looking down to where she was pointing over his side and keeping his voice casual.

"That one?"

Petra nodded and he straightened up as he reached for his white shirt intentionally, somewhat trying to think of something vague to gloss over it, because that scar had resulted from a robbery that hadn't gone all that well, back when he was younger and was still learning the area; learning the finite balance of who was weak, who was strong, who would fight for their belongings, and who wouldn't.

He gave the matter a few moments of thought, and eventually shrugged, "Well, I suppose I learned what happens when you can't run faster than a flying glass bottle."

Petra's previous smile had fallen at once, a displeased and suspicious frown coming to her face at his notably vague response, and instead of reacting outright, she gave a simple nod as her eyes fell over him once again. She ran her finger over a faint line that fell across the expanse of his left arm, "And this one?"

He shrugged, "Oh, well...guess you could say that I learned why it's important to keep your friends close, and a knife even closer."

At Petra's abhorred look, Levi had mentally grimaced, having thought that what he had said wasn't all _that_ bad and even put a bit of humor into the situation – he doubted she wanted to hear the_ actual_ details of what had caused the long and thin line that ran down the better half of his arm – but when she watched him with_ that_ look, he was certain that he had missed the mark completely.

Deciding to stop her while she was ahead, Levi turned his back toward her as he began to pull the shirt around him, deciding it was a rather good time to get dressed and cover up so Petra couldn't continue her little questionnaire because it was clear it would only upset her, and he had long made peace with it. As he opened the fabric, there was a slight tug on the material that prevented him from putting it on all the way, and he turned over his shoulder to find fierce green eyes watching him seriously.

As he held her gaze, watched the way she held his stare so stubbornly as though silently_ insisting_ that she continue because she could handle it, he gave a sigh and allowed her to set his shirt back on the bed. She moved all the more closer toward him, and he tensed when he felt her fingertips brush against the planes of his back, searching and feeling his skin for the various wounds that had marked his body over the years.

She found her thumb tracing a strange mark just over his hip, and Petra almost sighed in mental preparation, because the pale skin was odd; the semicircular mark resting just over his side and about the size of her thumb, "What's the story behind this one?"

That one, Levi knew the scar she was referencing without even having to glance down for the visual reminder. He took a breath, "That one, well…" he wasn't sure how much of his past he wanted to delve into, because to some extent Petra just wouldn't _understand_ the hell that was being a mere child left to fend for themselves in the Underground. It was ironic, because people seemed to think that his ability to survive so many Titan encounters was nothing short of a miracle and yet…

He found himself smirking darkly, because that was nothing. Surviving the Underground, surviving the cruelness of humanity and against all odds, somehow making a name for himself - that was the_ real_ miracle.

"If every scar has a lesson, then that one comes in three-fold. First off, don't get caught. If you_ do_ get caught, make sure it's not by the wrong people, and if it _is _by the wrong people, pray to whatever fucking deity you believe in that they aren't sadistic fucks with an axe to grind."

"….What happened?"

Levi could only give a single, baleful shrug, "I got caught, plain and simple. Granted, I didn't know they were the lap dogs of a local gang leader, but you better believe they let me know that real fast. Honestly, that's probably the closest I've ever come to death before, in terms of a fight at least. I think there were…five of them, strong trained guys I mean. I was still pretty young and I had_ no_ chance. Once they had beaten me down, broke a lot of bones and kept swinging their fists until I was a barely conscious mess on the threads of survival, the lead asshole decided to put his cigar out right there on my side, so I'm pretty sure that's what you're seeing there. I've got a_ number_ of scars from that beating and it had me really shaken up back in the day, but in some ways, it was a good thing."

"A good thing?" Petra all but stammered from behind him in obvious disbelief, and Levi merely gave a serious, albeit cold and determined, _guarded_, nod; his expression dark and menacing as he stared ahead narrowly.

"I've never lost a fight since."

There was a long silence that followed his words, and when Petra finally found her ability to speak again, her voice was noticeably strained, "Cap…Levi – gods, how old were you?"

"Back then, maybe twelve or thirteen."

Petra's hand was almost trembling against his skin, and regardless the fact she was still behind him where he couldn't actually see her react to his words, Levi knew she was fighting off tears. He gave a heavy sigh and turned to face her directly, "Petra, don't. Don't cry for me because-"

He had reached out a hand toward her, intending to wipe her newly fallen tears away, and with a sudden venomous glare, Petra swatted his hand away with a shake of her head. He had watched her with admitted surprise, and Petra's glare remained just as steadfast, "Someone should cry about it, Captain! Someone _should_ rage and be furious because you were just a child and no one even batted an eye! Dammit,_ you _Captain – you once asked me why I fight, and _you_ are the reason why. I fight because this is all so messed up and if no one does anything, then it's never going to change!"

As the Captain's gaze lingered on her, a sort of confusion in his face as though he just couldn't figure her out, Petra shook her head in continued fury, "The fact your childhood was stolen away from you, the fact that people are stepping on each other and reduced to pitting the strong against the weak for a mere chance at survival – I can't fucking _stand _it! I know I will probably die fighting before I ever see the results of what the Scouts are doing, but I can't…I have to do my part to try and change it because it's all so fucked up and I can't just sit by and watch humanity unravel like this."

Levi found his words were somewhat lost to him, admittedly surprised by the raw conviction she spoke with because he had no idea that Petra felt so strongly about the Scout's mission. It seemed that Petra still wasn't done, because she brought her hands to her eyes and groaned, "Gods, that's so _fucked up_ Levi. You deserved so much better than that and…dammit! Gods, I'm so fucking livid right now. You were just a boy! Five men, beating a _child_ half to death? I get it's the Underground, but why are the MP's so damn useless?! It's so, so wrong!"

Levi's expression sobered into something a little more studious as he watched her flatly, "Alright Petra, tell me what happened – or better said, tell me _who_ happened, because no one is_ born _with those ideologies, nor that bloodlust for vengeance that you've always had. Who's blood is it that's driving your actions? Your brother's? A little sister perhaps? Was it…your mom? I know you don't like to talk about it, some trauma or whatever, but I want to know because now you've got me curious. It's more than a mere conviction; no, this drive you have to fight for change, it's an _obsession_ of yours, isn't it? That's why you wouldn't give up on the gas shortage, why you came to my squad, why nothing slows you down. You've got a score to settle because you feel _guilty._"

As Petra stiffened, and Levi's eyes narrowed all the more as his voice reverberated lowly, "Petra,_ why_ are you a Scout? Who was it?"

Petra sat back onto the bed with a defeated sigh, the fire leaving her at once as she allowed her memories to unwittingly flood her mind, "My best friend, Camille."

Levi's expression didn't change, for he wasn't surprised, and he continued watching her patiently as she struggled to pick her words. "We grew up together because her family lived right next door; only two houses down from where we are now. We did everything together and in some ways, I suppose I thought of her as the older sister I never actually had. To make a long story short, her father got sick and didn't get better, and when he passed away, that was it. They had used all their money on medicine that didn't work, and her mom didn't have any specific life skills to make an overnight career out of. I watched helplessly as their life went from being comfortable to desperate and hopeless in a mere few months. I mean, my dad helped where he could of course, but back then he wasn't making anything more than what _we _needed to just get by so we couldn't do all that much."

Petra gave a sad smile then, staring off into the distance as though reliving the event, "One day she came over because her mom had apparently found them work in a nearby city, just a few hours away, and so she was stopping in to say goodbye because they were leaving that night. Camille said that the job tended to get filled quickly; apparently it was a bit of a first come first serve sort of position, and so they didn't have time to waste because the employer wouldn't hold the position for either of them. She told me that it was a cleaning job that both her mom and her could do, where the pay was decent, and the job didn't require any specific set of skills other than the willingness to work."

Levi stiffened at her words outright, knowing full well where this story was headed, and Petra found herself smirking beside herself after seeing the Captain's grimaced reaction, "Yeah. Of course_ now_ I can see it all as a huge red flag, but at the time I was young and really had no idea what they were walking into." Petra paused and her smile fell as a pensive look tightened her expression, "Perhaps the saddest thing when I think back on it all, is that _both_ Camille and her mom were old enough to know the danger they might be walking into. I can only guess that they were so desperate they took the chance anyway because in some ways, I suppose they were dead either way. They were already beginning to starve to death here where they were running out of time, and they knew it."

Petra's eyes began to burn at the memories and she shook her head, forcing strength into her voice as she continued, "Either way, Camille moved away with her mom that night and I thought nothing of it. Two months later, I came back from school and the Military Police were at the house waiting. They had found a body, and needed someone to confirm if it was her or not. To my knowledge, her mom was never found, and to this day I still wonder if she's still out there, if she got away, or if she died with Camille. The MP's wanted me to tell them everything I knew about the job they were offered, where they were going, if they had any contacts, if anyone had tried contacting _me_ considering I was a friend of hers from the same neighborhood."

Petra's voice lost its strength and she brought a hand to her mouth, shaking her head in horror and struggling to speak of the details without letting her memories overwhelm her, "I hadn't seen a dead body before, but even if I had, nothing could have prepared me for that. There were burns, cuts; bruising and swelling so bad that I couldn't even recognize her face, so they had me take an even closer look at her body for any birthmarks I could recognize, scars – anything to confirm that it was her and that the out of control human trafficking ring _had _in fact targeted our town. All that to say, it was clear she had been abused in almost every way imaginable, and as I thought about her life, our friendship, everything she had done for me, the kind of person she was, and how life had just fucked her over for no good reason, I suppose something inside of me just…broke."

Petra was nervously fiddling with the fabric of her night shirt, all but mumbling to herself as though trying to justify her entire life in a single sentence, "I know that a more logical person would have joined the military police or maybe partnered with an organization meant to provide relief to trafficked victims but…some part of me knew deep down that those groups couldn't do a damn thing for my friend, nor anyone else, and I wanted _justice_."

Her voice was suddenly shaking with obvious malignance, a low sort of malice to her words as she spoke in a fiery whisper, "_Real _justice that lasted longer than a single lifetime or the conviction of a few seedy, despicable men. I wanted to earn back her blood drop for fucking drop - attack right at the source of it all - and that led me to the Scouts where I've never looked back." Petra took a breath and took a moment to collect her thoughts, her voice more pensive as she spoke, "As long as we're trapped in the Walls, as long as humanity is _forced_ to reside here where there are so little resources, where children are left fatherless, families starve to death no matter how hard they work, where no one has a true future, and this whole place is just a hopeless mess of twisted, dog eat dog depravity then…what happened to Camille will keep happening again and again and I can't accept that kind of thing sitting down. I just can't."

As a single tear fell down the side of her face, Petra gave a groan and wiped it away irritably with the side of her arm. Her eyes met the Captain's, a wild and desperate green, her eyes almost begging him to understand because it seemed some part of her couldn't forgive herself for letting her friend walk down such a path. For whatever reason, she was seeking his acknowledgement – wanting him to _understand _why she had made such a choice.

There was a long stillness that came between the pair, and Petra watched Levi with tearful, broken conviction, "Captain…please, tell me that we're going to actually win this thing, when it's all said and done? This is…actually working, where we're making _progress_ for humanity? We're going to fight the Titans, and carve out new futures for everyone – with dreams and memories and lives that _can't_ be stolen away. If not…your childhood, my friend, _everything _I've been fighting for up till now, will have all been a waste and my father will have been _right_ about me; about everything. It's not about proving him wrong, this is bigger than that, but…I can't help but wonder, what if he's right? What if I _am _just wasting my time, because I'm not good enough? I feel like I barely fit the bill of what a proper soldier should look like; I focus on the wrong things, I get jealous of everyone else's talents, I don't follow the orders of my Captain, and I act selfishly, even though I don't mean to. What if the best thing I could ever do for the Scouts, is to just get out of the way?"

Levi pulled Petra into his arms at once, his own voice shaking from the conviction he felt, because Petra – her heart – her fierceness, her gentle spirit that had been _provoked_ into taking up arms and fighting in a world that seemed so unfitting for someone like her, a truly compassionate and tenderhearted woman, in truth he had no idea what to do with the complicated series of thoughts and gut reactions that pulled at his mind every which way. He was shocked to hear her speak of herself so poorly, when all three factions of the military were in a silent, bureaucratic war to have her skills for their own – he was pleased and a little awe struck that Petra finally trusted him enough to speak of her past; to speak of the triggering event that had led her toward the Scout Regiment – he was furious that her father had made such a point of belittling her at every turn that she had no self-confidence left to speak of – and at the same time, he was proud.

So, so unbelievably damn proud of the woman who had been born into a considerably blessed life; born with talent and promise and beauty and wit. Her life could have been so easy and overwhelmingly charmed, beautiful and luxurious with men fawning over her and trying to buy her affections, and yet she had chosen to put it all aside. Apparently having a bright future only to herself while others suffered under her heel just wasn't appealing to her.

He found his arms tightening around her, for reasons he was unsure of, and he wasn't surprised one bit when Petra wrapped around him desperately in return, her body shaking as she no doubt relived the memories that still haunted her. He could feel her tears against his skin, hear her quiet gasps as she cried, and he felt a sort of sigh leave him, because there were times he forgot how tenderhearted she truly was.

"Fuck, woman…" he whispered, somewhat leaning down to better meet her because from her seated position on the bed and with the fact he was standing, it was making the angle a little odd between them. "If a woman like you were to step down and come back here – quilting or bussing tables if I remember correctly – it would be_ such_ a fucking waste. You have motive, _reason_ to fight, and no, I don't think you're wasting your time in the Scouts. We are making a difference, so don't count yourself out because the Scouts need you now more than ever. I warned you earlier that this would happen you know; you've made yourself damn well irreplaceable and I _told_ you that you should be better prepared for it."

At his extremely high praise, Petra pushed herself back slightly, checking his expression as though suspicious he was just saying what she needed to hear instead of the actual truth, and Levi almost groaned. His expression was flat at her obvious skepticism, and he leaned toward her all the more until his nose was against the side of her face; his volume dropping to a low hum, "You don't think so, huh? Well tough, because that sort of thing's not up to you to decide. I'm your Captain, Erwin's right-hand man, and I happen to know what I'm talking about. We'd be _damn_ hard pressed to find someone as motivated as you that_ also _has that same analytical mind you do."

Petra fell perfectly still at his sudden closeness, and Levi wrapped his hands into her hair, moving to push his lips against hers with a frustrated sigh. He pulled her against him all the more as he dug his fingers into her back and pushed her head toward him to meet his kiss, irritated and entranced, frustrated and desperate, and gods…this woman was something else.

"Honestly Petra, you really _should_ listen to me for a fucking change of pace – I might actually surprise you."

She gave a slight nod against his thin lips as Levi moved them both forward and pressed her back into the bed as he crawled on top of her purposefully. He was leaning into her, a desperation to his actions as he moved his body against hers and pressed her into the mattress with intentional force. Petra allowed herself to become lost in his touch; allowed him to clear the thoughts from her mind, allowed his kiss to breathe confidence back into her; more grateful than words could ever say for him, because to have Levi – to have her own Captain, the man who had chosen her time and time again, tell her that she was worthwhile, that her skills were special and that he was pleased with who she _already_ was, and not for who she 'could' be…

It almost made her dare to believe him.

…

* * *

…

Not too much later, Petra and Levi had left her bedroom, a bright smile over Petra's face and a begrudging, stubborn and awkward smile over the Captain's, because after a hectic few days, after a_ less _than good start to kicking off things with her father, their little impromptu make out session had been more than beneficial for both of them.

"Morning Baby!" her father greeted from the kitchen table as they walked into the main part of the house, the older man looking up from his newspaper and raising his coffee cup in greeting. His smile fell as Levi followed in behind Petra, and he gave a muted nod as he looked toward Levi seriously, "And morning to you, as well."

While his greeting had been admittedly stiff, Petra supposed it was a start.

Levi moved toward the entryway of the house, grabbing his boots out from the walkway and moving back toward the couch as he prepared to put on his riding boots and leave for the day. Aside from the already _promising_ conversation and her father's ice-cold stare, Levi's use of the outpost came at a cost and he did not like to have unpaid debts lingering over his head, friendly or otherwise.

The agreement Erwin had arranged with the Garrison was simple – he could come and go to the Outpost as he pleased, train and use their materials without issue or the pressing need for documentation, and in return, he would provide the Garrison Officers a full three days' worth of training and hands on instruction regarding Petra's new usage material.

Considering it was exactly what he had been doing back home, it was just another drop in the bucket and he was eager to have his hours fulfilled as soon as possible so he could focus on his own personal skills that needed some sharpening.

"The Scout's Uniform?" her father questioned with a raised brow, looking to where Levi was seated then back toward Petra for an explanation.

She looked through the cupboards and grabbed out two coffee cups with a nod, "Yeah, Captain plans to train at the Garrison outpost, so he'll be gone for a while."

"Oh right, you mentioned that yesterday." Her father looked toward Levi and nodded, "You know where you're going lad?"

Levi pulled a boot on and gave a single nod, "It's east of the town."

"Yeah, take a left onto the main road and follow that straight out of town. At the fork, probably about two miles out, take a left and follow that to the Outpost. I'd say follow the signs, but they got taken out by a windstorm so I wouldn't count on them to lead your way out there."

Levi gave a single nod, and the older man looked back toward Petra, shooting her a small wink because the girl's mouth had dropped open in surprise, amazed at the fact that the two men were actually getting along so it seemed. Her surprise melted into the smallest of smiles, and her father looked back into his newspaper with a pleased grin, turning a page and continuing to converse further, "Wouldn't you know it, I've actually been out there a few times myself; fixing up some of the bedframes that got warped and damaged over the years. Nice little area."

Petra moved toward the coffee pot and poured a single cup of coffee, "You got contracted by the Garrison? Dad, that's great! You know if you were to try and build a good relationship with them, you'd probably find them to be repeat customers. I know back home we've got a few local townsmen that we contract when it comes to plumbing and repairs because it's easier working with them than it is trying to get the government involved for some minor thing. Of course, you'd have to drop your bad attitude about the military, but it'd be a good source of income if you can nab something more permanent. Seasonal maintenance, laundry lists of simple repairs they can give you each quarter – it'd be easy work for you that's repetitive and local. I'm sure you don't want to hear it Dad, but you're not as young as you used to be, so the less you have to travel for work, the better."

Her father looked over the edge of the paper and watched in silent interest as Petra brought a cup of coffee toward the man she had brought home with her, her 'husband', and her voice was quieter as she spoke softly to him specifically, "Here, Captain."

"Oh, uh…thanks."

Her father watched as Petra looked her Captain over, frowning as though just now realizing that she wasn't helping him so much as inconveniencing him in his attempts to leave for the day and she gave a sigh, "Shoot, you're packing up to leave, huh? Let me, uh, here, I'll just put this in a thermos and-"

"Petra, it's fine. I'm not in a hurry, so I'll just drink it here. Ten minutes won't set me back all that much."

"Are you sure? I don't mind, Captain. I know you worked out that deal with them so if-"

"Petra."

The man stared at her with a flat expression, one that to him seemed downright cruel, but it seemed Petra saw it in a different light completely, because a shy smile came to her face and she gave a cautious nod and set the coffee cup on the nearby end table, "Okay."

She walked away with that smile still on her lips, and her father didn't miss it when the Captain's eyes trailed her form in a mix of want and contentment, his eyes falling down from her back to her hips, before finally settling on her rear. Her father cleared his throat sternly, not looking toward the Captain who had all but jolted at the sound, but rather toward his daughter who was now taking the time to fix her own cup of coffee, completely unaware of her Captain's wandering gaze.

"That's certainly true Baby, and I can't afford to turn away honest paying customers. I may not be a big fan of the military, but none the less, I'll admit that when I was over there and getting to watch them all train and fly around in the air, it was a real sight - most of the soldiers seemed to be alright guys too. The gear you guys use to get around like that, it looks like it would be fun."

Petra turned toward him and grinned, "The 3DM gear? Yeah, I guess it is pretty fun in some ways, when you get the hang of it at least. I think the first time I got to use it for real, I'm pretty sure I laughed the whole time because it felt surreal, kinda like I really was flying. It was so exhilarating, and I was so afraid I'd fall, but even still I had a blast. When I get back home, I think that's the_ first _thing I'm going to do. Uh, I mean, if…if Captain says it's okay of course."

"We'll see. You've got a lot to prove before I'll let you come within ten feet of your harness, so don't get too ahead of yourself." Came the man's gruff reply, and Petra's grin only widened because apparently...that was a funny response, to her at least?

Her father almost chuckled at the couple's strange dynamic, because it was clear his daughter thought an awful lot of the young Captain, and in return, it was obvious that his daughter had captivated the man's interest because for every step she took, the man was silently observing her every action with an intensity that was almost bordering on the obsessive. "Honestly Princess, you're just an adrenaline junkie is all. Your mother was a lot more subdued back when she was your age. She'd probably accuse me of raising a wild child is she ever saw you flying in the treetops like that."

Petra rolled her eyes and took a sip of her coffee, a light tone of amused sarcasm in her response, "Right. Me, getting up at six am, taking orders from my Captain with lights out and a curfew and a daily list of scheduled responsibilities – I'm an unruly wild child with no discipline to be sure. I'm sure mom would be completely horrified."

Petra held her coffee cup in her hands, intending to move back toward the living room so she could sit beside the Captain before he left for the day, but her father gave her a surveying look of concern and spoke in clear confusion as something caught his eye.

"Hey Baby, wait. Come here for a sec, will ya?"

Petra blinked at the way his eyes narrowed in worry, but still did as he said and walked toward her father in confusion.

When she set her coffee cup down on the table and stood in front of him, her father curled a finger as though instructing her to come even closer, and Petra leaned toward him curiously, almost flinching when her father lightly traced his fingers over the side of her neck with a still puzzled expression across his face.

"Baby, what is-" His thumb traced the soft skin of her neck in wonder, seeing a mark or scratch or a red and irritated _something_ against the dip of her skin – and when he finally realized what he was looking at, an apparent sort of love bite that had left a few red splotches over her skin, the man's eyes narrowed and he leaned to one side, looking past Petra as he growled outright, "Ackerman!"

Levi tried not to groan at the man's timbre, not having known what the man was irritated about and certain that he hadn't done anything in the mere ten seconds he had been in the room that would have caused such conflict. He almost growled in return, "What, Ral?"

"What do you mean 'what?' What did I _just_ say last night? Let me remind you, I told you to keep your filthy hands off my daughter, and here she walks out the very next day with_ that_ on her neck! You want to tell me that it was someone else who put it there?"

Petra's eyes had widened at her father's words, and she stood up fully in sudden embarrassment, slapping a hand around the side of her neck as she looked toward Levi in alarm and silent question. Admittedly, he wasn't sure how she wanted him to respond, because while it wasn't his outright goal per say, for the most part Levi certainly didn't_ mind_ leaving marks, and he hoped that Petra didn't mind it either. Practically speaking, after being her Captain for years, he had learned that she tended to bruise and mark rather_ easily_, so a mark here or there really just seemed inevitable to him, even if he was being careful.

Even still, he certainly hadn't been_ trying_ to leave marks earlier, but considering it was only five minutes ago that he had her pressed up into the bed, had been nipping at her skin and pulling desperately at her clothes with an admitted bit of force, because fucking hell these two weeks would_ never_ end – he could see where her skin would still be a little flushed and telling; red and irritated from where he had bitten into her skin with his whittling remnants of restraint.

Levi gave a long and flat stare toward her father, not sure what the man expected him to say, because if he wanted an apology, he wasn't fucking going to get it and he'd just have to make peace with that. Petra was his wife, and as long as she consented, then that's all he needed to know.

The older man stood up from his chair, setting his newspaper down on the table with a sort of smack and he crossed his arms in obvious resentment, "So, you can't even last one night? Have you no self-control, Ackerman? Is that why you married her in the first place, just to get in her pants when she couldn't turn you away? Just how blunt do I have to be for you to get it? I don't care that you're married, I don't care if she's your type or if it's convenient or whatever justification you come up with – while you're in my house, you will keep your hands off my daughter!"

At his scathing words, Levi felt an equal mix of outrage and sheer…_amusement_, because damn, he didn't think he'd be having this conversation today. Or ever. He was a grown ass man, in his thirties, and this was regarding his wife, who was in her mid-twenties. Yet here he was, under her dad's roof and getting chewed out over a hickey, as though they were both some punk teenagers that had been caught messing around after school let out.

"Dad!" Petra suddenly spoke up in offense, looking toward Levi for a moment longer, then back to her father, "You've got the wrong idea. Sure, we were maybe a little preoccupied a bit ago, but that's none of your business. Now granted, I get this is your house Dad - and we'll be _respectful_ of that - but I won't sit here and just listen to you insult his integrity like this. If you _must_ know, Levi and I…we haven't been intimate like _that_ before, so you can take that little theory of yours right back because he's more than proved himself and he's not just here to get in my pants. He's not some animal, and he knows how to be respectful. Let's just leave it at that and move on with our day."

At Petra's explanation, her father stood up in sudden disbelief, his mouth hanging open as he struggled to come to terms with what Petra stated. He pointed between them, a serious expression coming to his face because he had_ heard_ her, but he somewhat struggled to believe her because he had seen them last night, at least…he _thought_ he had, anyway. He had seen the way the man had held her against him, the way his daughter had fallen into his touch so easily, and the way the Captain's eyes had darkened with lust as he looked down her body with clear desire – the way he had been ogling his daughter as she walked away just now.

Even with that though…the fact that they apparently hadn't been together in such a way - it was weird. Really weird. Had that all been for show?

Maybe he had misunderstood their relationship entirely?

He held up a hand, admittedly confused, "Wait a minute Princess, you mean to tell me that you both have been married now, for six months, and the two of you haven't slept together? For real? And what's more, you're trying to tell me that you're both…_okay _with that?"

Petra groaned, "Dad, I told you that we got married a bit on the fly because of the time crunch _you_ left us in. It's not that Levi isn't….but I really didn't _look _at him in that way because he's my Captain and we didn't want to complicate things by…" Petra held up a hand and shook her head dramatically as her face began to turn red, "You know what, no, I can't talk to you about these things Dad. It's weird. It's too weird. Point is, no, we haven't. And that's okay, because again, it's really none of your business."

Levi had been staring into the floor from where he had been sitting in the living room, and he found a smirk coming to his lips at Petra's little tirade, not sure if there was anything he even needed to add to it, because not surprisingly, Petra could speak well enough for the both of them so it seemed.

A moment of silence passed, and Petra's father had turned back to the table and his coffee cup, watching Levi with a narrowed stare and shaking his head, "Still, six months Princess? I mean, I'm just going to have to say it…are you sure he ain't gay? He must be, right? I mean he's pretty…well, _particular_, and even gay men can make out with a gal, so it stands to reason that-"

"Gay?" Petra had shrieked with wide eyes, turning around in a flash and glaring at her father outright, "Dad, of all the insensitive, ridiculous-"

Levi was _waiting_ to hear it then, irritated but barely biting back a smirk as he anticipated hearing exactly what Petra would say next because with how outspoken the ginger was, with the fact her father was all but egging them on with his snide comments, he was certain that this sudden discussion would prove to be rather entertaining. Petra knew from _experience_ that he found women – specifically her – to be extremely attractive, and by now, he was certain he had given her plenty of talking points to back it up. She could talk about how he had pressed her up against the wall; the way his itchy little fingers found their way under her clothes so easily in the night, the way he held her and the way he so clearly wanted her in every possible way because it's not like he was being all that subtle about it anymore.

Sure, it might be a little weird to hear her talk about those details right in front of her old man, but in this situation, her father was all but asking for it and he wouldn't mind Petra shocking him into silence. Like she had said, it was none of his damn business to start with, so her dad claiming that he _must_ be gay since they hadn't slept together yet, just wasn't fair. If the man wanted to know exactly how he kissed his daughter, exactly how he touched her and the fact that yeah, he did look at his 'little girl' as a _woman_ and with Maria as his witness, it was only a matter of time until he showed Petra exactly how 'gay' he was – then _by all fucking means._

"Insulting, ignorant and close-minded insinuations!" Petra hissed in finality, taking a breath and pointing across the room toward him dramatically, and Levi almost sat back into the couch, smugly, because here it was; Petra's outspoken, unneeded and yet greatly anticipated defense. Petra's face was turning red and she shook her head furiously, taking a deep breath as she continued in sheer indignance, "I'll have you know Dad, that it doesn't _matter _what gender Levi is or isn't attracted to! Who _cares_ if he's into men, because it doesn't change a thing!"

Levi felt his blood run cold and his smugness turn to complete shock because…wait, _what? _

Levi looked toward Petra in sudden alarm, almost shaking his head and trying to mentally tell her that whatever the _hell_ she was saying, it was _not_ helping her father's opinion of him and it was only making it worse and what the actual fuck, woman? Unfortunately, Petra didn't catch his wide eyed, horrified stare because, _the fuck was she even saying, _and Petra continued on just as hotly, "To reiterate, Levi doesn't need to try and get in my pants or whatever because he's not _like_ that! Levi is_ perfectly_ respectful and patient, he doesn't push the envelope and-"

As her father's expression changed and he looked over toward him directly with narrowed green eyes, Levi coughed in admitted discomfort because Petra was making no damn sense and this was _not_ painting him in the manner he had expected. He looked toward her father and cleared his throat because it was getting hard to speak, "No, I do. I push that envelope, _hard_. You said it yourself Ral; I can't keep my hands off her."

At Levi's sudden correction, Petra shot him a waspish glare of her own, because she was _trying_ to convince her father that he wasn't just some pervert that couldn't control his baser urges, and Levi was shooting her efforts straight to hell. She looked back toward her Dad with a quick shake of her head, her voice shrill as she tried again, "No, he's lying! I uh, well…Oh! Last month Dad, we spent like no time together, and not a peck on the cheek, nothing at all, and it was fine! Levi wasn't bothered by it in the least! He's the perfect gentleman Dad, really."

Her father looked from Petra, then slowly, slowly back toward Levi, his eyes showing an ever-present mix of surprise and underlying suspicion, "…A whole _month_, you say Baby? That true, Ackerman?"

Levi's mouth was hanging open as Petra's words continued to baffle him all the more because she knew full well that no, he was _not _in fact gay, and he found himself practically stuttering, trying to find _something_ he could grasp onto to defend himself, without having to go so far as to consummate their marriage here and now just to prove a point.

He looked toward Petra and cleared his throat, "Not entirely. Maybe she's too embarrassed to say it, but not so long ago she stayed in my room all night, right in my bed no less. It was a good night."

The ginger's face blanched, "Wait, Dad that's not how it sounds! Nothing happened, it was just an accident!"

"Didn't feel like an accident to me."

"Captain!"

"Tell me I'm wrong."

"You're not_ wrong_-"

"Well there you have it."

"But you're making it out to be more than it was, and you know it! Don't be gross."

He rolled his eyes bitterly, and the pair continued glaring daggers at each other.

Her father watched their muted staring contest; watched as Petra's mouth fell open and she gave an incredulous stare toward her Captain; watched as the man merely gave her an equally intense stare in return, and Petra rolled her eyes with a huff of her own. The older man shook his head and sank back into his chair in overwhelming disbelief, "I don't believe this. You really are gay, aren't you boy? Sweet Maria, I'm never getting grandchildren."

"Dad, all you need to know is that Levi is a good man that keeps his hands to himself!"

"Princess, he keeps his hands to himself because he's _gay!_"

"I'm _not _fucking gay." Levi corrected with a groan, allowing his head to fall into his hands as he rubbed his temples in sudden exhaustion.

"Right, right. So you can make out with my daughter, mark her up like this for, what, mere show, but you can't actually go all the way? You trying to tell me that in six months, the two of you just _haven't _had the time? Not buying it, lad."

"Well you don't _have_ to buy it because those details don't concern you. Petra's my wife-"

Her father snorted and shook his head darkly, "Yeah, sure she is - on _paper_ maybe, but nothing more_. _You're just her _pretend _husband, and deep-down lad, you know it, same as me."

At the harsh words spoken, the irony and sheer bitter_ truth_ of what was said; words that had once been a mere inside joke between them but had now been twisted into something more harrowing and dismissive, Levi pressed his lips together as something cold and weighty fell across his chest like a direct blow. While it had only been a moment, a mere fraction of a second, something rather reminiscent of _pain_ flashed across Levi's face, and Petra instantly stepped further toward her father, falling between the two men as she spoke in a violent whisper.

Her father may have missed the subtle shift in the Captain's gaze, watched the spark that left his eyes, but to Petra, it couldn't have been more evident and she was livid.

"Dad. You have no right, _no right_, to judge Levi. He's…" Petra paused and looked over her shoulder, seeing that her Captain was intentionally looking into the floor, and Petra clenched her fists because she knew that Levi would never show it, never say a word or admit it to her face, but even still…Levi was legitimately_ upset_ by her father's callus words.

"Frankly Dad, I can tell you flat out that he's not gay. Maybe we're not as well behaved as I'm trying to claim, so if you want the dirty details then I can lay them out for you bit by bit, but something tells me you don't want to hear it, and on that note, we've _all_ got better things we could be doing with our time than discuss something like this. You've got that table to finish up, right? Best get to it because you can't miss your deadline, nor the pay cut that comes with it in the event that you're late."

Her father gave a slow, bitter nod, and Petra turned around seriously to face her Captain next, "And Captain, while you're gone at the Outpost, is there any specific exercise or training that you want me to do today? I've kinda got all day so…it's your call. Just tell me what to do and I'll-"

Levi merely shook his head, "No. This is the first full day where you don't need to ride or travel, so just take it easy. We'll start maybe tomorrow, if you're feeling up to it and finally well rested. Nothing too exciting; just stretches mostly. We'll ease you back into something more traditional when you're ready for it."

Petra nodded and Levi sat up from the couch with a curt exhale, avoiding her father's heavy gaze as he focused on Petra with a passing glance, "I'm going to head out now. Don't wait up for me tonight – I told you that I've got some training obligations at the Outpost, so I imagine I'll be out there running drills and leading classroom discussions well into the evening. I might be able to sneak away sometime after dinner, but if it gets late enough, I may just crash there instead. Either way, I'll be back sometime tomorrow night at the latest; just depends."

Without further delay, Levi moved toward the door and walked out of the house, a tense and heavy silence falling behind him from the weight of what had been said – from the weight of what _hadn't_. As Petra listened to the front door open and close, listened to the sound of her Captain's footsteps as he moved around the house, her eyebrows pulled down in sudden determination and she found herself chasing after him.

Naturally it hadn't taken her long to meet him, but even still, Levi's eyes were wide once he saw the intense expression across Petra's face as she came up from behind him and grabbed his jacket. Her wild green eyes were a breathtaking mix of emotion, and she whispered with an equally fierce tone as Levi struggled to keep her gaze.

"Don't."

She had stopped a few feet in front of him and gave a firm shake of her head as Levi conveniently focused on the stable with a sort of impatience, "Captain, I…what my Dad said back there, please don't…"

For once, Petra realized she didn't even know_ how_ to verbalize her fears. She only knew that the simple statement, the callout from her father that he wasn't her true husband, it had legitimately struck a nerve with him, had somehow validated all of his fears about being such a man in her life, and as a result, Levi was intentionally withdrawing away from her because…he felt _ashamed_ of himself, she realized.

Her expression hardened when Levi looked back toward the stable, a stubborn expression on his face that confirmed he would not be talking about it further, and on sudden impulse, Petra grabbed him by the cravat and gave the fabric a hard yank, causing Levi to be pulled toward her with demanding force. She pushed her lips against his, still holding the fabric around his neck in a death grip, and it was obvious she had no intention of letting him go anytime soon because her other arm moved around his back and she leaned against him purposefully. Her kiss was one that spoke of fury and outrage, an outright demand that he kiss her back and that he remember all it was between them because she simply wouldn't permit him to leave like this.

Petra almost gasped when Levi returned her kiss, because she thought_ she_ had been passionate and demanding, but as Levi's lips moved against her own and his own hands fisted into the fabric of her clothes with a tight grip that threatened to break the seams, she almost whimpered as she melted against him; giving a quiet moan into his lips at his returned ferocity that engulfed her own so completely.

It was Levi who eventually pulled away, his shoulders bobbing up and down as he fought for breath, and Petra gave a breathless exhale of her own, "Levi, please just…I know I can't keep you. I know that. But even still, if you make a habit of leaving like this – to the Outpost, to your meetings, to _wherever _then…damn, I'm just, I guess I'm afraid you won't come back to me. I can't control your life; I'm not_ trying_ to but I…I guess I can only _ask_, and let you decide the rest. I know my Dad's an ass, and I know that these conversations are belittling for you on so many levels but...please. Don't make a habit of walking away and leaving me guessing. Come back _tonight_, please."

Levi swallowed, thinking her request over and taking a step past her without a word.

"Captain…?" Petra whispered again, looking down into the ground as a silence fell between them, and there was a soft exhale.

"You really are such a selfish girl. I know you were hoping but…I _don't _like him, Petra."

"…I know."

Levi placed a hand on her shoulder, not looking at her as he gave a single nod, "Tonight, I'll come back. Late. So…you won't have to wonder. I'll be back before you wake up in the morning."

Levi continued on without another word, walking toward the stable and preparing his horse; feeling Petra's lingering stare for some time until he moved off the property and was out on the main road. Regardless his explanation, regardless the fact he had previously instructed her to_ not _wait up for him, Levi knew full well that Petra would be wide awake and waiting anxiously for his return. Maybe that wouldn't be so bad.

He could only hope that her bastard of a father _wouldn't _be.

…

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End of Chapter

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…

Whew, long chapter indeed!

Of course, I could talk about this chapter for a long, long time, as I could with every chapter haha, but some part of me doesn't even know where to start because to me, there just really is so much. I think for me /personally/ what I enjoy about this chapter is its highlighting how well Petra and Levi are actually getting a long now, without either of them really even realizing it. In a place where they are being attacked as a couple, then individually, then personally – it makes it so they really have no one else to depend on or turn to, because they don't have other resources or allies.

But. I'll just keep my notes to one paragraph instead of fifty haha. Thanks guys, Vetitian will be up on Wednesday! See yall at the next update!

~Mid


	64. The One for Angel

Morning everyone!

It's a lazy Sunday over here, and not so coincidentally, it also happens to be Father's Day! As always, I know todays like this can be touchy and carry some mixed emotions, but none the less its good to be thankful for those in your life who did invest and make the difference, be it a father figure or teacher, etc.

I'mma get some coffee, try to wake up, and let yall do your thing! Enjoy the chapter!

…

* * *

…

It was late in the night, hours after he had returned from the Outpost and settled into bed, that Levi awoke to a startling, blood curdling scream.

He was sitting up in an instant; body tensed and coiled from the sheer force of habit because this was far from the first time he had been awoken in the night by a scream like that. Of course, that had been years ago in the Underground, so it didn't make sense as to why he was hearing such a thing now.

His mind wasn't as sharp as his body so it seemed, because even though it had only taken him a split second to respond and jolt into alertness, he didn't immediately realize that the scream had in fact been a familiar one.

It was Petra, he realized in sudden alarm, and another cry tore into the night air.

Levi had never heard her scream like that – ever. Not when she broke her ankle, not when they had set her bones, and Levi's blue eyes were scanning her body frantically for the cause because for Petra to scream like that...

It was as he looked her over, looking for blood or swelling or _something_, that he realized hollowly that Petra was sleeping, and Levi frowned outright as sudden understanding came over him. The pain that she was experiencing was still_ very _real, and just as devastating, only it was mental and emotional in nature. In some ways, Levi actually _preferred_ physical pain because at least that sort _healed. _Mental pain, ghosts from the past and shadows of regret – that was a pain that didn't go away; wounds that _didn't_ heal with the passing of time.

Before Levi could so much as reach out to her, having been awake for no less than five seconds, the bedroom door had flung open and her father barreled into the room with wide eyes. Levi had been expecting an angry, suspicious glare from the man – as though expecting that_ he_ had been the one to cause her to scream like that – but much to Levi's surprise, the man merely glanced at him in obvious _concern_, his expression almost softening as their eyes met, and her father quickly crouched down toward the bed and gave Petra a firm shake.

"Baby, baby girl wake up! It's Dad, come on and snap out of it!" When her father grabbed her arm, Petra had tensed fiercely and violently thrashed in her stubborn sleep as she gave another startled cry, and in her jerky and unpredictable movements, her knee jetted firmly into Levi's stomach. He gave a pained groan as a hollow sourness filled his gut, and he adjusted himself to be more upright so he wouldn't be subject to getting kicked again by mistake.

"Petra! Wake up!" her father repeated more loudly with a commanding voice, and Petra finally jolted awake, instantly sitting upright with a sharp and alarmed gasp. Her eyes were wide and panicked as she frantically scanned the area in obvious unawareness and confusion, as though not sure if she was awake, or if she was still dreaming. After realizing where she was, that whatever had been plaguing her was only a dream, Petra gave a thick and shaky exhale, bringing a trembling hand to her sweating face and pushing her hair back with gasping breaths.

"Dad? Oh no. S-sorry. I just…so sorry."

She refused to look at either of them.

Her father gave a defeated sigh and he sat down on the floor with a sort of plop, giving a tired sigh as he placed a hand over her back as she leaned forward and placed her head in her hands. For a long moment, no words were exchanged as Petra fought to catch her breath, seemingly to be only vaguely aware of either men's presence in the room.

Eventually, her father looked toward her with a soft expression, "It was Camille again, wasn't it?"

When Petra merely nodded into her hands, Levi felt a frown come to his face, certain that perhaps his asking earlier about the circumstances that led to her joining the military really _hadn't_ been the best idea. Petra had once told him that she didn't like to talk about it; hell, even back then she had barely been able to _whisper_ into the night air that she struggled with the memories, and he had told her that she didn't have to talk about it because it was okay for her to have her secrets.

He should have known better than to pry it out of her.

Her father adjusted his position on the floor and looked toward the Captain with a pained smile, "It's always been like this, ever since her friend Camille was found, beaten up and mangled like that. Petra started getting night terrors – bad ones – and unfortunately, this house seems to be a consistent trigger for them, even years later. It's like this every time she comes home and even if some part of me expects it, even still it scares me half to death to hear her scream like that."

Levi could only give a nod of agreement, because even now with Petra awake and not as fitful, his heart was still pounding fiercely in his chest. Her father continued and rubbed Petra's back warmly, "I've offered to move you know; build a new house and all so she can be a bit more comfortable when she comes home, but she refuses because this is_ also_ the house that her mama loved so much. Petra doesn't have many memories of her – my wife died of pneumonia when Petra was only five – and so because of that she's always been really protective of this place."

Levi wasn't sure how to respond to all that her father was telling him - information that he undeniably appreciated - but admittedly, he was amazed that her father was even telling him in the first place, because it was obvious there was mutual dislike between them. Levi remained quiet, looking toward Petra in concern and hoping that he might be able to catch her eye; give her a silent glance and wordlessly ask her what he needed to do, but Petra was still buried into her hands, and her long hair was creating a very effective veil between them.

Her father cleared his throat and looked over toward him seriously, "Traditionally in the past, I'd end up sleeping right here on the floor with her. She does better with people I think, and while it doesn't always mean her night terrors don't come back, it's easier to soothe her if I'm already here." Her father gave a sudden chuckle at Levi's increasingly wary expression, "I'm aware however, that neither of you would be keen about turning this into a sleepover."

The man watched Levi for a long moment and stood up from the ground, "I'm not looking to pick a fight with you lad, at least not right now when we're all so tired like this. I know we don't see eye to eye, but even still, if there's one thing I can't fault you on, it's that you're extremely protective of my daughter, same as me. Gotta say, the look across your face when I first came in here…there's no mistaking that you genuinely care about her well being."

Levi looked up toward her father, returning his stare flatly, and her father gave a single, tense nod, "I think this is something I can trust…her _Captain_ to handle."

Her father leaned down over Petra and kissed the back of her head, "I hate to see you suffer like this Baby. Try to get some sleep, and I'll see you in the morning."

Her father left the room then, and as the footsteps of her father could be heard as he lightly moved down the hall toward his room, a long silence fell over the pair.

Levi looked toward Petra and took a breath, almost reaching a hand out toward her but giving a sigh at the last moment and shifting across the bed lightly. "You want to talk about it?" he asked softly, and Petra gave a shake of her head.

It took her a few more deep breaths, but she slowly looked up from her hands and again pushed the hair out of her face in clear exhaustion and embarrassment, "No. I…I'm sorry, to have startled you Captain."

"No, it's fine. Tell me Petra, is this common? I don't remember ever hearing you like that in the night, and I don't recall the guys ever saying anything about it either."

Petra shifted underneath her blankets and stole a single, nervous glance toward him, "No. I mean a bad dream here or there is perhaps expected after being in the Scouts for so long; I think once Eld came in my room and stayed with me – obviously nothing happened in that respect - but things like this…no; Dad is right. It's just being at home like this that triggers it and there's not a lot to do but grin and bear it."

Petra pulled at a lock of her hair and gave a nervous bite of her lip, stealing one single glance toward him before speaking in a mere whisper, "I'm sorry to be selfish Captain, but is it okay if maybe I sleep a little closer toward you? It's uh, just for tonight I swear. And it's totally okay if you need your space; I'll be alright of course but I just thought, well, it's just nice to have someone there and…."

Levi couldn't deny his surprise at her simple request, and he exhaled lightly and lowered himself out onto the bed with an accepting, cautious nod. Petra hesitantly inched herself closer toward his side, still trying to be courteous of his space and stopping just shy of an arm's length away from him as though too afraid to come any closer. Levi rolled his eyes and held his blanket upward, motioning with his head that she could come all the way because really, she might as well.

Petra merely looked at him with large, hesitant green eyes because they had shared a bed now for a number of nights, but they had always gone to bed on separate sides, always. When she woke up each morning, Levi was already gone because he naturally woke up earlier than she did. She wanted to be respectful of his boundaries as it seemed that Levi had been making a point of sleeping as far away from her as possible ever since they had started their trip, and nightmare or not, she didn't want to push him.

"Uh Captain, are you sure? This alone is-"

Levi grumbled and was already pulling an arm around her irritably, "Hurry up, you're letting all the warm out."

Petra found herself intentionally pressed against Levi's bare chest in the next moment, and as she felt Levi roll his shoulders and try to adjust his position now that she were so close to him, she chewed her bottom lip and allowed her hands to rest over his arms, carefully aligning her body against his in return and hoping she wasn't troubling him too much.

Levi hissed as her fingertips grazed against his skin, and he began rubbing her arm quickly, as though trying to build friction underneath his palm, and he groaned irritably as her touch caused goosebumps to rise over his skin, "Damn, you're fucking freezing – it's like holding an ice cube. The hell are you this cold for? It's summer."

Petra gave an apologetic chuckle, "Sorry, I'm always cold. I uh-"

"I've noticed." Levi cut her off with a knowing huff, and he sighed again in acceptance, reaching to his side for the blanket he had pushed off himself earlier, and spread it around them purposefully in the next moment. As a silence fell between them and Petra's body seemed to slowly uncoil bit by bit, he gave her a light nudge, "Hey…you okay, Petra?"

"…Yeah."

"For whatever its worth, I'm sorry about your friend. Sounds like she deserved better."

"Yeah. She really did."

Another silence.

"Hey Captain…"

"Hm?"

"Thanks for this. I don't know if I should be saying this or not, but your skin is crazy warm. I mean, I'm not really that surprised, but even still…this feels nice."

Petra shifted against him then, pressing her face up against the warm skin of his chest and giving a slight sigh as her body took comfort in his presence. Levi almost smiled, allowing his thumb to draw circles in her night shirt and he spoke lightly, "Well don't get used to it. This is a onetime thing."

Petra had nodded, a smile pulling at her lips from his defensive remark, "It's more than enough, Levi. I'll take whatever I can get."

Regardless Petra's acceptance and regardless Levi's claims, this night was merely the first of many that followed. From that point on, the Captain and his young wife had slept side by side without reason, and without care.

…

* * *

…

Regardless what had seemed to be a good moment between Levi and Petra's father, the following morning their bickering had picked right back up. Things had started out just fine, but once Levi stated that he planned on getting back from the Outpost mid-afternoon instead of the evening so he could start up Petra's training, that had been enough to ignite those sparks of agitation between the two men and that had been that.

They argued back and forth for some time about the wisdom of such a decision, if it really was wise to train her while she was still healing, if she would actually be getting to enjoy her vacation or not – to the opposite end, where Levi accused her father of wanting his daughter to be fragile and weak against the Titans, where she'd be easy pickings because hard work just wasn't 'possible' for someone like her.

Again, Petra found herself intervening, naturally taking her Captain's side because vacation or not, she was still a soldier and she needed to get trained back up to her prior skill as soon as possible, so if it was okay for _Levi_ to train each day, then why wasn't it okay for her? They had all continued arguing back and forth for some time, until eventually Levi had stiffly confirmed that he couldn't afford to just sit around and argue because he was already taking a half day as it was, and her father grumbled that it was for the best, because his deadline for the table was fast approaching so he couldn't put off productivity for trivial matters like this. As the two men had each made their way toward the door, Petra bitterly made up some excuse as to why she _also_ had important tasks of her own to see to, even though they all knew that her schedule was as open as it could be.

Levi had left without eating breakfast, her father had finished his cup of coffee in a single go, and Petra had stormed back into her room in a show of equal irritation and had made a point of slamming her door. Admittedly feeling a little silly and a little useless just sitting idly in her room in a completely empty house, Petra had decided to make the most of her down time and set to work on their accumulated dirty laundry, gathering up their used clothes from the days previous and taking it out through the back door so she could wash the clothes and set them out on the line to dry.

As she had gathered their dirty clothes and moved into the closet so she could find a new outfit from the clothes she had left behind from her premilitary days…the process of finding something to wear had actually brought a rather interesting factoid to light.

She had grown; or perhaps more accurately stated, she had _filled out._

While she supposed it shouldn't come as that much of a surprise to her considering how young she had been once she had left for the military, Petra had been admittedly grateful that her Captain hadn't been around while she tried to find a new outfit to wear from the clothes she had left behind, because the first few attempts had been a little on the scandalous side.

She realized quickly that hardly any of her bottoms would fit, and the first few dresses she had grabbed had virtually no room in the bust, and so her chest had been awkwardly spilling out from every possible direction of the garment. She had laughed at the ridiculous image, having to awkwardly pull the dress back off her inch by inch because it was simply too tight to fit well, and she tried again with something else.

Petra eventually settled for a sundress that had once been more on the loose side back when she left, and while it was admittedly a little on the tight side and pressed her chest up in a way that was somewhat revealing – she figured it wasn't anything that Levi hadn't seen before, so she would just have to make due until the rest of her clothes dried.

After the laundry had been properly washed and hung up, she had begun cleaning the house next, knowing that its present state wasn't exactly up to Levi's standards. He hadn't said anything about it, and it certainly wasn't filthy by any means, but even still, she knew it put him on edge and the house certainly_ could_ use a good deep clean.

She had set to work on the common areas first, the bathroom, the living room, and then the kitchen. After a few hours had passed by, her father had come back in the house for lunch, and he looked around the newly cleaned area in clear astonishment, thanking her outright because the house had long been overdue for a deep clean but he had just been so busy with all the orders flooding in.

Petra smiled at her father's gratitude, casually waving it off like it was no big deal (even though it had taken literal _hours_ of work, and there was_ still_ more to be done because regardless her father's claim of merely being in a 'busy season' – there were literal _years_ of grime and buildup in some places) and her father gave her a small smile. Seemingly pleased that she wouldn't be calling him out for his obvious white lie, her father thought for a moment and confirmed that as a way to make it up to her, he'd head into town after he was done working and he'd grab some ingredients for an extra special dinner.

They shared lunch together, and though the tensions were high because there was still a sea of unspoken questions and frustrations that were bubbling just underneath the surface between them, Petra could tell that her father was trying extra hard to not pick a fight with her, and somehow, they had miraculously enjoyed a meal together – argument free.

Once her father left the house, confirming that he'd finish up his work and then head into town, Petra had returned back to her cleaning with renewed purpose, setting to work on the cupboards and reorganizing them one by one, washing the dust from the corners, wiping down all the surfaces, double checking that all the put away dishes were actually clean, then putting the cupboard back together and starting on the next one.

At this pace, with all the projects she was finding that needed to be done and with the obvious neglect her father had for the details, it was clear that getting the house up to par and properly cleaned was no small task. It would likely take her a number of days to get the house up to Levi's standards, although…at the very least it gave her something of value to do, and she supposed that was the point.

…

* * *

...

When Levi walked in the front door some few hours later in the midday, he pulled off his boots and walked into the main room. He was taken by surprise at once, because he certainly had _not_ been expecting to see Petra, on her hands and knees as she scrubbed the kitchen floor, ass up in the air and in a dress that was only two inches shy of showing off whatever panties she had decided to wear that day.

He found himself wordlessly staring down at her for a long moment, and as though sensing his presence, Petra sat up onto her heels and looked toward him over her shoulder with a tired smile, "Captain, you're back!"

As she looked at him, she made a surprised expression and almost cocked her head, "Wait, are those flowers? Levi…did you…are those for me?" It seemed so very unlike him, and yet there was no denying that he was in fact carrying a stunning bouquet, and she wasn't sure what to make of it. She stood up from the damp floor and wiped her hands on her dress with clear enthusiasm, and once she turned around to face him, Levi's eyes darted across the exposed tops of her breasts that peaked out from the simple cotton bodice, more than a little surprised by her choice of clothing, because fuck…_that _was something worth coming back to.

She took a few steps toward him and continued looking at the bouquet in his hand, missing his agape expression as she gave a slight laugh, "Wow, these are really pretty. Uh, what's the occasion?"

He could very well ask her the same thing, but Petra continued and nodded toward him with a cheeky smile, "I mean, you _did_ bring those flowers for me, right? I'd hate to assume. I mean, I suppose you could be trying to butter up my father or something."

He forced himself to clear his throat, and he gave a single nod as he gave the modest floral arrangement a gentle shake for emphasis, "Yeah, I mean, technically I did_ bring_ them for you, but I feel I should clarify that these aren't from me." He saw Petra's suddenly crestfallen look and he shook his head in correction, "That's not to say that I _wouldn't _ever bring you flowers, if that's something you'd like I mean, but for the record-" he nodded toward the bouquet and almost smirked, "Pixis says hi, and he hopes your vacation finds you relaxed and well rested."

Petra paused in place, completely surprised by Levi's clarification and she chewed her lower lip in question, "Pixis? He's _here?_ What's he even doing at a random Outpost like this? Shouldn't he be running things, you know, back at Headquarters?" She gave a knowing sigh and looked toward Levi flatly, "Let me guess, he stopped in to personally greet Humanity's Strongest, am I right?"

Levi gave a pensive shake of his head, shrugging casually as he spoke, "Nah, not me. He and I have rubbed shoulders so many times over the years that it's not that big of a deal anymore. Apparently some number-crunching nerd made some serious changes to their gas utilization a bit back, and he was hoping to meet _them_ face to face." Petra's eyes had widened at his statement, and Levi gave her a smirk, "Bummer, because I was there all morning and they never even bothered to show up."

Petra grabbed the flowers out of his hand with a playful swipe, "Well, maybe their _Captain_ wouldn't let them."

Levi shrugged at her snarky retort and gave her a challenging grin in return, "Sounds like a reasonable man. Maybe they should _listen _to him a little more."

She pretended to not hear him and merely gave the bouquet a light sniff instead, admittedly enjoying the simple and sweet fragrance that was well balanced and harmonic. As she surveyed the arrangement, a small white square caught her attention, and Petra pulled out the included card, looking it over for a moment and frowning in sudden confusion, "Levi, I'm curious. You said these were for me, right?"

"Yeah, I mean…that's what Pixis said anyway. He hand delivered them to me personally, so I figure that's as good a sign as any."

"Well the card is addressed to 'Angel'." She flipped the card toward him so he could see the handwritten name across the paper, and Petra shook her head in distaste, "If he wanted to impress me, the least he could do is get my name right."

Levi snorted at the man's mistake, "Probably bought those for his wife or whatever, but then forgot to take out the card when he regifted it to you instead."

Petra gave an exhale, supposing it didn't matter one way or another because it really was a nice gesture, and she moved back into the kitchen with an accepting sigh, "Well whatever. They're definitely mine now; may as well put them in some water."

As Petra moved down toward the floor so she could pull out a vase from one of the lower cabinets, Levi's eyes sparked with sudden interest as she leaned out across the floor, watching as her dress hiked upward again and revealed the backs of her smooth and pale legs as she searched the cabinet purposefully. He swallowed thickly as she leaned forward and her dress raised even higher, and Levi gave a slight shake of his head as he looked intentionally toward the opposite end of the room, "Not really. He had been hoping that you would be making an appearance at least once during these next two weeks because he's got a proposition that he'd like to run by you, but when I confirmed that Erwin would have my head on a platter long before that ever happened, he laughed it off and sent me back with those instead."

Petra laughed as she pulled a vase out and filled it with water, moving toward the kitchen table and setting the flowers in the middle for display. She ran her fingers up a single flower stem with a pleased smile, leaning over slightly so she could smell the flowers one more time, and Levi tried not to stare at the long line of cleavage she had presented to him as a result. He mentally frowned, deciding instead to just speak his thoughts out loud here and now because he couldn't perpetually turn a blind eye to her for their entire vacation – he'd go absolutely insane. He looked back at Petra more directly, nodding down toward her very on display chest with an appraising stare, "That looks good, _really_ good."

She smiled as she looked at the flowers and gave a contented sigh, missing his pointed look completely, "You think so? I'm glad. Flower arranging isn't exactly a skill of mine, so I'm glad someone else did the work for me here. Looks like a lot of wildflowers; I'm seeing some daisy and honeysuckle, a few I'm not really familiar with; but they put it together nicely. Really brightens the place up, doesn't it?"

Levi mentally noted that she had missed his meaning completely, and he shook his head, "No, it's not that. I meant-"

"Oh right," Petra gave a small laugh and turned back toward the kitchen and crossed her arms with a critical scan of her eyes, "Yeah, I've been cleaning up in here for a while now; in some of the other rooms too. I know it's not quite up to your standards just yet Captain, but I figured it's a start and every bit helps. Give me a few more days, and you'll be able to _eat _off the floor it'll be so clean."

Levi looked around the room, only now realizing that Petra certainly had done a lot of work during the time he had been gone, and he nodded as he walked further into the room, taking off his cape and draping it onto the back of a nearby chair with a casual exhale, "Yeah, it's looking a lot better in here and I appreciate it of course, but truth be told…I wasn't talking about the kitchen either."

Petra turned toward him with a curious expression, and Levi nodded toward her flatly, "That dress, do you always wear dresses when you're at home? I ask because the closet is _full_ of them. I didn't take you to be so effeminate. Not that there's anything wrong with that; I'm just surprised. This is, what, the _second_ time I've seen you in a dress in almost six years? It's very different."

Petra looked down at herself and gave a slow shrug, "I don't mind dresses or anything; I can't say I'm partial to dressing any particular way though. Usually I'm only home for a few days so I just pack a spare outfit or two and wear that while I'm here. For this trip though, I didn't want to pack two weeks' worth of clothes when I knew I had so much here at the house already but…well, to be frank it seems that a lot of them just don't fit me the way they used to. I was pretty young when I left for the military, so I really_ should_ have known better, but none the less here I am. I'm just about out of the clothes I brought back, so I washed all our laundry earlier – I hope you don't mind – but the downside is that now I'm stuck wearing whatever fits me well enough until my clothes dry out. Sorry if this is a bit much; I'm not trying to be flashy or anything, but I'm afraid this is one of the few things that even_ remotely_ fits me so I'm trying to make it work. Most of my dresses are a little uh, tight at the top and things like my old pants and shirts are _way_ too tight now."

Levi smirked at her explanation and the way she had subtly crossed her arms over her chest after seeing how his stare lingered, "I see. And so for training this afternoon, you're planning on wearing that? I suppose I can't really tell you what to wear now that you're off duty but…" his eyes trailed down her chest for a second time and his smirk grew all the more pronounced, "I'd be curious to see how that dress preforms under pressure. I think we'll start with handstands, followed by jumping jacks."

Petra rolled her eyes, blushing at Levi's obviously teasing words and suggestive stare, and she bit her lip nervously, "Ha ha, Captain. If it comes down to it, I can just work out in wet clothes."

He watched her in obvious disbelief, "Can you?"

"Well, sure." She crossed her arms and watched him narrowly, "It's a nice day outside, so they'd dry out pretty quickly. I know that this dress isn't exactly workout friendly, so I can improvise."

He chuckled at her increasingly determined expression and gave a simple shake of his head, "No, all jokes aside that won't be necessary. You want to try wearing my clothes maybe? Unlike you, I _did_ pack enough clothes for the full trip, and I've got a few undershirts that should fit you well enough – certainly a little big on you if memory serves - but that's probably better than falling out of your top or being forced to work out in wet clothes. I'm sure they'd dry eventually, but not before rubbing your skin raw. If you can get away with wearing my clothes, then there's just no need for it."

He took a closer look at her frame, his stare more serious now that the discussion of her training was involved, and he shook his head in thought, "Granted, I'm pretty sure your hips are wider than mine, and frankly you've got a curvy ass too. My pants probably won't fit you, but I've got some night shorts that are a little more on the loose side that _should_ fit your curves a bit better. You could try those if you wanted."

Petra found a smile growing on her lips, and she gave a hesitant nod, "Really, Captain?"

He shrugged and loosened the cravat from around his neck, "It's not a big deal. I told you I'd start training you up, and I don't want you getting distracted by what you are or aren't wearing. You want to participate in the next expedition, right? If so, that means we've_ both_ got our work cut out for us and your clothes should be the least of your worries. Go ahead and get changed. I'll be out here whenever you're ready, and then we'll get started."

Petra gave a large grin, all but jumping with sudden excitement from the prospect that her long awaited rehab would finally begin, "Yes, yes of course Captain! Thank you so much - gods, you're just the best; I could kiss you right now!"

Levi had grinned at her words, almost waiting for her to march around the table and press her lips against his as she _expressed_ her joy and excitement, but much to his admitted disappointment, it seemed Petra had merely been speaking _figuratively_, because she merely gave a wave and bounced out of the kitchen without another word.

Levi had silently frowned, moving into the kitchen and grabbing himself a cup of water while he waited bitterly for her to return.

Well.

So much for that.

...

* * *

End of Chapter

* * *

...

Ahhh, poor, poor Levi. No one can say he's not trying – but some part of me just chuckles because true to Levi's nature and life as a whole, yeah, this poor man just can't catch a break.

In other news I have a slight confession. I probably took a month off of writing new material for this piece – not intentionally, but a day turned into a week and so on and so forth, but I'm pleased to say that I was able to sit down and finally start back up in the writing process and yall, I'm truly very excited.

I'm just about to start the final arc for this piece, and I'm not sure if I'm ready to start wrapping up all the loose ends because what will I do after this piece is over? But – that's still a good number of months away. So until then, thanks for everything and I'll see you at the next update!

~Mid


	65. The One Where They Train

Hello readers and happy Sunday!

Not too much to say here, so I'll just keep it short and say thanks so much for all your constant support and showing up each week as we continue walking this plot step by step. Enjoy this chapter!

…

* * *

...

Levi grabbed her extended wrist tightly, giving her a reproving stare at the force behind her swing. He peaked his head to the side of her fist, that had been aimed straight for his jawline, watching her with a quirked eyebrow as he spoke, "Watch it. I told you this is for _conditioning_ \- to stretch out your muscles and _carefully_ bring your strength back up. If you go all out, you're just going to injure yourself."

Petra gave a pull on her wrist, though Levi merely held her arm in place, not permitting her to turn to her previous routine. Petra groaned, "Captain, I'm just so bored. Come on, spar with me. I can_ handle_ it!"

"No." he corrected, irritated that she clearly wasn't taking the time seriously and slapping the back of her hand with a flick of his wrist.

Petra's mouth dropped open and she flinched at the sharp stinging sensation that ran up her arm. "Did you just…_slap_ me?" she gaped in alarm and looked down at her now red hand in surprise, "Ow! That…that actually hurt! What the hell?"

"You gonna listen to me?" He retorted curtly, watching her with a serious and miffed stare. Though he _was_ in fact greatly amused by her reaction to his slapping her hand, he kept his expression firm, "Did I not tell you that I would be the one to rehabilitate you? You're the one who said you wanted to start training as soon as possible, and while it's not as easy out here considering the lack of equipment and resources, I can make do. But if you just want to fuck around then you're on your own."

He released Petra's wrist with a slight toss, and she took a moment to rub her hand remorsefully. She seemed to think for a moment and stole a glance toward him, "If I go through all the routines then…maybe…_one_ sparring match at the end?"

Levi crossed his arms and gave a long sigh, "You know, you're not normally this much of a pain in the ass when we're training. Just because it's less formal doesn't mean that I don't expect to see focus and results."

She smiled at his observation and shrugged, "Yeah, well we're technically off duty, so I get to be a bit more stubborn and at least ask. Worst you can do is say no, right?"

He actually _chuckled_ at her optimism, giving a few nods and walking towards her directly, "Uh, no. There's _a lot_ worse that I can do. You see, usually when I see my subordinates being so…_stubborn_, and _difficult _to train, I've found that giving them _gentle_ correction-" He had started to circle her as he spoke, however as he moved behind her, he popped her on the backside of the head with his palm; earning yet another 'Ow!' from Petra as she rubbed the back of her head with a frown.

Levi smirked and continued where he left off, "Well, it often tends to set them on the right path. Granted I normally don't have to use those methods on _you, _because you usually fucking_ listen_ to me, but hell, first time for everything. It appears that I'll have to ask again: Are you going to listen to me?"

She turned around toward him, still rubbing her head with a frown, "Of course I am, but…"

He quirked an eyebrow at hearing a 'but' and she gave a sigh, "You're no fun, Captain."

He motioned toward her seriously with a no-nonsense stare, "Basic moves Petra, now."

She gave a conceding nod and exhaled in a sobering fashion, her expression finally turning serious as she swung her fist toward him, but this time in a slower, controlled pace as she moved her legs beneath her in time to match her jab, and he watched her elongated form with a nod of his head, "Good. Keep doing that until I say otherwise."

She gave a single nod and slowly sank back into a half crouch, rising up and punching in the air toward an invisible target, and again he began circling her, looking over her form critically as she moved. As she continued, Levi neared her side as she rose up again, standing directly behind her as he allowed his hand to ghost over her shoulder, pushing her one shoulder forward and pulling the other back toward him lightly.

Her expression remained just as focused as he moved her gently, and he spoke softly as to not break her focus, "When you jab, try rotating your shoulders just slightly, like this." As she moved into the next action, she moved her shoulders herself in attempts to replicate his instruction, and he again had his hands hovering just above her lithe form, encouraging her to loosen up and move a bit more fluidly through the motion, "No, no, not so much because now you're over rotating. You don't want to _lose_ your momentum when you twist; you want the power to come through your legs, up your torso, and when you twist _just_ slightly here, your power is more efficiently carried through your arm, and into your opponent."

Petra gave a deft nod, crouching again and moving forward just slightly, twisting ever so carefully as he had directed her and pushing her arm forward with extreme control. He nodded, "Just like that. Now do it again."

They had continued doing basic conditioning, each action painfully slow and intentional. Regardless the slower pace, Petra found her limbs were trembling because the finesse of each exercise required so much control of her muscles that she was legitimately fatigued.

As she moved, Levi continued to hover around her, whispering short instructions, carefully adjusting her body until she perfected each motion to his liking. While she was mainly focused on getting through each exercise – she _had_ to be considering the Captain was a perfectionist by nature and was watching her every move with a critical stare – some part of her was struggling with coming to terms with the fact that she was actually getting private instruction from Levi himself, and though she had already known it considering he was her Commanding Officer, she found that she had forgotten the simple fact that he was a _surprisingly _good teacher.

While it frequently irritated him, Petra understood why he was so often tapped to assist with training or why he was called on when it came to new formations or theoretical situations – he had a natural ability to produce results, and people (herself included) longed to impress him. What was more, with his odd style of authority – lax in some ways but brutal in others – made people respect him and _want_ to follow him.

"Alright," Levi spoke softly, "Let's try some kicks. Crouch down again, yeah like that, and this time," he had somewhat bent down with her, pulling her upper body to one side as she began to stand up from the ground, helping her to prepare for the right kind of kick as he guided her form lightly, mirroring her actions from behind her as he guided her with whispering, phantom touches. He tapped her outer leg and nodded, and Petra slowly extended her leg, adjusting the height of her kick based off how far the Captain was pulling her down to one side. He tapped her leg again and whispered, "No, don't point your toe. Nothing's wrong with that, but I'm wanting to gauge other muscles for this. Kick out with your heel instead. Again."

She gave a nod and crouched back toward the ground, allowing Levi to guide her as he grabbed her back hip in preparation, "Now put your weight here. You're going to kick high this time,_ very_ high, so if you're not properly positioned, you're going to fall." Again she nodded, and switched her weight into the opposite leg with a determined expression, again moving upward from her crouch ever so slightly as she slowly stood up, being pulled to lean over her side as she extended her outer leg into the air.

As she extended her leg out, Levi pulled her even lower, and lower still until her leg was angled almost above her head. He was almost pulling her inch by inch, as though_ checking_ to see something – what she wasn't sure – until all at once, she gave a sharp gasp as her ankle throbbed and sent a stabbing sensation up her body as the angle ignited a sensitivity from where she had injured it.

She tensed and pulled back, though the Captain was prepared and spoke over her initial gut reaction from the pain.

"Stay, stay." Levi urged her with a still soft voice, his arms tightening around her shoulders and holding her in position. Though she did as instructed, her ankle continued to protest at not just her body weight, but also the needed control and forced stabilization that taxed her still healing bones and muscles, and a whimper left her when Levi pulled her even _lower _to the ground, his eyes narrowed and focused on her ankle as he spoke, "Alright, now just a little more."

While _Petra_ didn't have the strength to comply with his order, Levi was able to pull her again until she was panting from the pain. "Lean on me a little, it's okay." She gave a nod and allowed her upper body to fall into his chest, as he was also crouching down to the ground; lowering the both of them until Petra gave an all-out cry, because the adjusted position only put that much more strain on her sensitive joints.

"Tough it out." he stated in her ear, "This position is targeting where your ankle broke, and babying it won't help you strengthen it back up. In a controlled setting like this, you are forcing it to _adjust _to the strain, without the risk of snapping anything in a sudden bout of movement."

Petra grimaced and attempted to nod at his explanation, but merely gasped as pain continued shooting through her body, her breath leaving her lungs in a sort of hiss, "This _hurts_."

"Just a little longer."

She whimpered again, allowing even more of her weight to fall onto the Captain, because while it didn't help the strain on her ankle, it helped the rest of her body not feel as taxed and she figured he wouldn't berate her for it all things considered.

Eventually, he pushed himself off the ground and pulled her back into a standing position, her exercise complete, and Petra stood up fully and groaned, lifting her sensitive ankle off the ground and rubbing it with a pained expression. "Sorry Captain, but I think I may need a minute." she bit her lip with a taxed exhale and shook her head in admitted surprise, "Shoot this really hurts."

Levi nodded, "Walk it out. We're going to do that a few more times, and it's just going to keep hurting so be prepared."

She gave a nod, setting her foot back on the ground, taking a few steps forward, irritated when she found that she was limping heavily with each step she took. Seeing her obvious discouragement from the rather simple exercise, Levi came up beside her, nodding down toward her ankle as she spoke, "I'm not trying to rub it in your face or say I told you so, but _that_ is why I need you to listen to me and take it slow. You may feel great and that you can do the same things that you used to do before you broke it, but right here, this is your reality. Put some_ real_ pressure on your ankle, and the result is that you can hardly walk."

Petra gave a miserable nod, and Levi crossed his arms, "Granted, we're going to fix that. I know we're off duty, and while I don't expect you to salute or report at six am or any of that, I_ expect _you to treat this like the training it actually _is_. Like it or not, but you're not _ready_ to spar, you're not ready to _run_ – there's a lot that you aren't able to do yet. But. You'll get there, and you need to be patient. For now, you just need to trust me."

Petra paused in place and looked toward him directly, "Levi…you know I trust you."

As she spoke, the way she watched him – the seriousness of her words - he couldn't help but feel she was talking about more than just the training, and he gave a heavy sigh, "I know."

Petra merely nodded, pausing in place and adjusting her footing ever so slightly, taking a breath of preparation and nodding toward him with resolve, "Okay. I'm…I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

The second she shifted her weight onto her ankle, she gasped, and Levi was already hovering around her, his arms tracing down hers inch by inch as he moved behind her, shifting with her as he encouraged her to keep moving through the pain, "Breathe, okay?"

She nodded, feeling him pressed up behind her, again mirroring her motions to some extent as she forced herself to push her weight fully into her ankle. She gave a tense exhale and lifted her leg out in a kick, grimacing at the pain but able to brace herself considering she knew what she was in for this time.

As he had before, Levi pulled her torso and upper body lower to the ground, one hand resting on her shoulder, and the other placed across her hip, pushing her center out to match the kick's traditional momentum as she moved slowly through the motion under his watch.

"I'm going to keep pulling you lower." he stated quietly, and Petra gave a hiss of pain as the angle continued to target her weak muscles; Levi's pull still intentional, but slow and controlled as he lowered her toward the ground, her kick raising higher and higher as before.

Regardless the pain she was clearly in, it didn't escape his notice that her form was still pristine, and he gave a pleased sort of nod, noting to himself that_ this _was more like the Petra he was used to working with in a training setting, because if anything, Petra was one of the most disciplined people he had come to know, so her previous goofing around had been irritating and rather unbecoming.

At the slow downward motion that only caused her ankle to tremble and throb beneath her, Petra gave another sharp gasp and proactively leaned into him with a pained expression, closing her eyes from the pain and exhaling tensely. Accepting the additional weight without comment, Levi pushed her lower still as she grimaced all the more but remained in control and intentional with the placement of her limbs and form.

It was as he was pushing her down just slightly, having almost reached the same position as last time, that Petra gave a sudden cry as her ankle buckled and gave out beneath her completely, causing her to crumple to the ground. Considering that she was already enveloped in his grasp before falling, Levi had caught her easily and her fall was nothing more than a sort of stumble in the end.

She gave a whimper and rolled her head back against his shoulder as he moved to set her on the ground, intending to look her over for injury, because he hadn't expected her ankle to be that _weak._ As he set her on the ground, she grimaced and brought her leg up against her in a ball, cradling herself as her hands wrapped around her injured ankle, somewhat rocking in place as she panted from the pain.

As much as he hated to admit it, her training was done for the day as her ankle was clearly at its limit.

"Let me have a look at it." He stated simply, one knee on the ground and the other set out, intending to use his leg as a sort of table so he could hold her leg steady. Petra nodded and shifted back, allowing him to prop her ankle up onto his leg for observation. She gave a cry as he removed her footwear, and he looked at her ankle critically for signs of serious damage.

After a tense moment of silence, Petra asked in obvious dread, "What's the damage, Captain?"

Levi looked toward her, noting she wasn't even looking at him, and he gave a heavy sigh, but was more so amused by the clear dread so prominently displayed across her face. He smirked, "Well, it looks pretty bad. I think you _broke_ it again."

That got her attention.

Petra's eyes snapped toward him, her mouth hanging open from a mix of anger and outright disbelief, "Wha…nu-uh! Nu-uh Captain, I would have _felt _it broken so-"

Levi chuckled and quirked an eyebrow at her strange choice of words, although she didn't even notice and watched him in challenge. Amused by her fiery outburst, he gave a sort of huff, "Eloquent."

Turning his attention back to her ankle, he frowned and continued, "But no, it's _not_ broken of course – but it's swelling up pretty good right now, and I gotta admit, I'm a little surprised it gave out on you like that. Sorry to say, but we'll have to take it slower than even_ I _initially thought."

She groaned, "Even slower?"

"_Yes_, Petra. As slow as it takes for it to be rebuilt properly." He looked up from her ankle and gave her a serious, curt stare, "And I thought I told you I don't want to hear you bitching about it, because _this_ is the sort of thing that will keep happening until your ankle is stronger – now hold still."

Before Petra could respond, Levi's hands were over her foot and base of her ankle, his thumbs and fingers pressing into her skin and making her tense and shudder from the outright _pain_ he was causing with his brutal actions that were a mix between rubbing and _stabbing_.

Petra's mouth dropped open and she found her eyes were watering as she felt his hands move over her foot in a way that was far from pleasant, "Ow, ow! Worst massage _ever_, Captain! OW!"

Levi rolled his eyes at her loud protests, his already tight grip clamping down on her all the more as he continued running his fingers against her muscles and ligaments. He scoffed, "This _isn't _a massage Petra, this is intentional force to bring some of the inflammation down and restore proper blood flow back into your joints. It's not meant to _feel_ great; it's meant to correct some of the damage before it continues to swell needlessly. For the most part your ankle _is_ fine, but your body doesn't seem to think so, so we're being proactive and addressing the injury head on."

Petra frowned and grimaced again, "Yeah? So what happened to the _gentle_ correction you were talking about earlier? This is – ow! – far from gentle, Levi! Ow!"

"Fuck's sake, quiet down. And you can thank me later." He stated flatly, not allowing her negative reaction to put him off as he continued to intentionally push his fingers into her skin and drive the muscles and ligaments properly, trying to break down the present water and building agitation that the exercises had placed on her.

After a few more moments of her muted protests and whimpers, he gave a nod and finally set her foot from off him and onto the ground, satisfied with his efforts because come the morning, he was certain that she would be just fine and they could resume further training without delay.

"Alright, I'm done."

Petra's eyes narrowed at her now red, throbbing ankle, and she looked toward him sarcastically as he stood up from the ground after a 'job well done', "Oh? And so soon? You sure there isn't some other archaic, battle technique that you want to subject me to under the guise of 'helping me?'"

He gave a half smirk, "Keep it up and I just may. Now come on," he presented a hand, and Petra gave a sort of smile as she took it, preparing to balance on her one good foot as he pulled her up from the ground, "I'd say that's enough training for the day. It's a start and we'll keep adjusting it bit by bit."

As Levi pulled her up from the ground, Petra allowed herself to be pulled forward, but without her other foot to keep her in place and counteract the upward pull, she gave a sort of yelp as the momentum shot her forward instead, and with a slight oof, she tumbled right into the Captain's chest instead.

She felt the breath somewhat press out of him at the impact, though it sounded more like a laugh than an actual forced exhale, and his hands were over her shoulders to hold her steady, "Clumsy, are we?"

She looked up toward him as his hands moved down the expanse of her arms, before settling lightly on her hips. She could only give a breathless sort of smile, "Sorry Captain. I just…" she looked up toward him and sighed in defeat, her train of thought somewhat getting lost as he watched her pensively, a silence falling between them as they watched each other in a sudden calm.

Instead of moving her or pushing her off from him, Levi's eyes narrowed ever so slightly at her choice of words, a spark of curiosity suddenly evident in his expression and the beginnings of a frown now tightening his lips, "Petra, you keep calling me that - 'Captain' I mean. We're off duty, miles away from the military base, so why? I know you call me Levi as well, but you still make use of my_ title _so often, when you know full well that you don't have to. Why?"

She blinked at his words, only now realizing that he was right. They had been off duty for almost a week now, and yet she still called him Captain just as often, if not_ more_ often, then his actual name, regardless the fact that as he stated there really was no actual reason for it. She shrugged as a blush came to her face at the valid callout, "Is that…bad? Honestly I hadn't even realized; it's just a force of habit, I guess."

He merely watched her evenly and his frown somewhat deepened, "It's not_ bad_, I just…you know that you don't have to, so I just wanted to make sure that-" he gave a slight shake of his head as he attempted to pick his words, and almost absentmindedly, he brought a hand to her face and lightly ran his fingers across the tips of her bangs as he spoke in a quiet yet strangely convicted manner, "I mean, I _am_ your Captain and so I don't mind you calling me as such, but I hope that you know and understand that…just _Levi_, is _also_ acceptable. Sometimes, perhaps it's even…preferred."

Petra's blush only turned a deeper shade of red as he spoke because there was something else to his gaze, a softness, a warmth that told her there was more to his previous question than he was letting on, and what was more, there was a sudden flush over the expanse of_ his_ neck that made her certain she wasn't the only one suddenly flustered and out of sorts.

Though it took a moment for her to deduce the meaning of his words, she realized what he was attempting to verbalize, and why he felt the need to clarify her words at all. He was checking, wanting to ensure that her calling him Captain was just that, _a habit_, and not an intentional way of keeping him at arms distance. She realized that he was trying to tell her he _wanted_ the intimacy that came with being called by his first name; that he wanted her to feel free enough to approach him as 'Levi' first and foremost. While he was indeed her Commanding Officer, he wanted to be her friend in return, just _Levi _– something more, and certainly something more_ personal_ than just her mere Captain.

She drummed her fingers against his chest, looking back up at him and feeling a smile pull at her lips because knowing he desired such a relationship with her, knowing he was all out _troubled _by the idea of them returning to how their relationship had been in the past – strictly professional and only subordinate and Captain – made her feel a strange mix of sheer bliss, nervousness, and mellow, comfortable contentment. She gave a soft smile, "Sorry Levi, but you should know that even if you get promoted, or however your title and rank may change over the years – well, to me at least, you'll always be_ Captain_ Levi. There's just something about it I guess; it's how I met you, how I came to your squad; a sort of second skin for you that's very fitting and…somewhat special to me now. As silly as it is, I'm rather attached to your title, you know? It suits you."

She paused and shook her head fondly as she finally caught his gaze, "But I don't mind it, calling you by name either, I mean."

There was a flat, nondescript, "I see." and Petra looked up toward him, shaking her head as she purposefully looked him over because for the life of her, she found that more and more often she just couldn't get over his striking, sharp and angular, undeniably beautiful, yet distinctly_ masculine_ features that he donned. As uncomfortable as it seemed to make him, (he certainly wasn't used to being the subject of anyone's approving or appraising stare) she found that when the rare opportunity presented itself and he hesitantly allowed her to actually _look_ at him for a change – she pondered how it was possible for her to have been on the same squad with him for so many years without her even noticing the extent of _how_ handsome he actually was.

Oh sure, some part of her had _always_ known that he was attractive, as the squad had made quite a big deal out of letting her know that their Captain apparently had quite a number of fans, it was just...she had never made the connection that he was attractive to _her _specifically, until just a small number of months ago. Now that she _had_ noticed, it was all she could do to not catch herself staring at him almost on the daily, because he wasn't just a little attractive – oh no, certainly not. The more she looked at him, she would notice other small features that had escaped her notice previously – the shape of his thin lips, the way his lips would part when he was deep in thought, as though ready to verbalize his thoughts out loud but never quite finding his voice, the way his collarbones stood out so prominently from his chest, leading into well rounded, surprisingly _broad_ shoulders that felt…_quite_ nice under her smaller, less confident hands.

His previously flushed skin only continued to darken at her prolonged and appraising stare, although his gaze remained steadfast, growing only more intense and focused as she watched him in unspoken admiration. She gave a slight sigh and allowed herself to relax into him, almost pulling a hand across the expanse of his jaw but losing her nerve at the last second, allowing her hands to come to rest on his shoulders instead. She shook her head and sighed, "Has anyone ever told you that your eyes are blue? And I mean like, really,_ really_ blue."

He gave an inaudible sort of chuckle at the familiar expression she watched him with – a sort of starry eyed admiration - and he pulled her closer still, not having a response to her assessment but finding that more than anything, her previous words in the kitchen were still just as enticing, because she had said she was going to kiss him, and some forty five minutes later, he was still waiting.

He had watched her walk back out into the kitchen, wearing one of his simple white tanks that were form fitting on his broad chest, but seemed to hang off her frame and show off her black sports bra. She was wearing his shorts too, ones that were loose on him, but undeniably fit her curves more snugly. He had to admit, she looked quite appealing wearing his clothes – clothes that were familiar to him, yet created such a unique image on her as they fell across her figure so differently than they did his own. Fuck, _of course_ they had looked better on her, and some part of him found that he could get used to seeing Petra walk around in his clothes because it was just one more way to tell other men that she was taken.

Unable to stop the impulse as he watched her, Levi leaned in toward her, about to steal a kiss from her soft and inviting lips, when a voice stopped him and he all but groaned, because it felt as though the gods were conspiring against him and he couldn't so much as_ kiss _her without there being some sudden, unexpected interference.

"Hey Pet – Pet, no way, is it really _you?_"

Both Levi and Petra turned around to find the voice that was…was that_ Petra _that was being called out to? Levi was already frowning, because approaching them was a male – younger than him, but older than Petra – with a large smile on his face, walking straight toward them from across the road and waving toward Petra expectantly.

He was tall, certainly taller than he was, although that was perhaps to be expected, and had an angular face and pale blonde hair that was similar in shade to Erwin's. The man was dressed nicely, donning slacks with a simple button up dress shirt, and was watching Petra with a large, enthusiastic smile as though he knew her, barely having given him, nor their telling, intimate closeness a passing glance.

Levi looked down at Petra suspiciously, almost leaning toward her and preparing to whisper, 'Do you _know_ this guy?' because_ he_ seemed to know her, but considering he couldn't even get her name right, he wasn't too sure – but seeing Petra's face, seeing her eyes light up and a smile pull at her lips, Levi found he already knew the answer to his question and negated to ask at all.

Yes. She knew him, and if the dumb grin across her face meant anything, this guy was apparently a friend of sorts.

Damn, he really wouldn't be getting that kiss after all.

"Timmy?" Levi rolled his eyes at the name – a grown ass man being called 'Timmy' - but Petra didn't notice and merely gave an exuberant wave in return, "Oh my gosh, it's been years!"

The man crossed the road and walked toward them, pausing as he looked Petra over and giving a surprised shake of his head as he stood near them, "My gosh Pet, it's been, _wow _it's been so long. You look fantastic, how have you been?"

Levi looked toward Petra, who was still grinning just as brilliantly, all but forgetting the fact that he was even present at all as her focus was now solely on this old friend of hers.

Petra laughed at his question and nodded down toward herself warmly, "I've been good. I'm still in the military, so that's great. I actually got married earlier this year, about six months ago in fact. I'm taking a few weeks off duty and finally getting to come home for a bit - you know, try to take care of business while I'm here and make the most of the time I have off. Lot has changed, so there's some rather…heated discussions going on right now between me and my dad. He's not exactly pleased that I got married and we've been fighting nonstop."

The man nodded and finally took a glance toward Levi, "Yeah, I had heard something like that from your dad. I had a feeling there would be some unpleasant sparks because both of you are so bull headed. Am I correct in presuming that this guy here is the issue?"

Levi tried not to snort at his words…although he supposed there was some truth to the statement, and Petra nodded warmly, "That's right, allow me to properly introduce you two. Timmy, this is my Captain and husband, Levi Ackerman. Not so coincidentally, this is also Humanity's Strongest, if you've ever heard that title before."

Petra turned back toward Levi, who was still watching the blonde forebodingly, "Levi, this is Timmy – he's an old friend of mine, you know, from before I was in the military. We go way back."

Levi gave a shallow nod and merely stared at the man flatly, quirking an eyebrow as he spoke lowly, _"Timmy?"_

"It's actually Timothy." He corrected with a smile, although there was a slight edge to his tone that almost made Levi smirk.

It seemed the dislike was _mutual_ then.

Not aware of this telling interaction, Petra's mouth fell open, "Oh my gosh, I feel so silly. Of course you don't want to be called Timmy anymore, that was almost a decade ago. I'm sorry, I wasn't even thinking so-"

The blonde gave a chuckle, "Listen Pet, it's no big deal. Most people call me by my full name now, but for _you_…well, I'll always be your Timmy, okay? No sweat."

Levi's gaze narrowed all the more, but before the conversation could linger on his last statement, the man gave a nod toward Petra's single bare foot, "And what have we here? Either you military folk have a sense of fashion all your own, or someone got hurt. What happened Pet, you trip over a Titan or something?"

There was a sarcastic snort from Petra, and she crossed her arms as she tilted away from Levi and toward her apparent friend, smirking as she gave him a challenging smile, "Maybe I did, who's to say."

This caused her friend to laugh, and he rolled his eyes, "Only_ you_ could trip over something thirty feet tall, so I can't say I'm surprised. How about-" he took a step and leaned down, scooping Petra up in his arms, much to both Petra and the Captain's alarm, "We get you back inside the house and I'll get a kettle of tea on for you."

Petra had gasped loudly, looking toward Levi in alarm then up toward her friend, "Timmy, put – put me down, I-"

Her friend was already walking toward the house, carrying her with ease as he moved her across the lawn, "Listen to you. You shouldn't be overworking yourself like this Pet, I mean, you're off duty right? It's okay to slow it down some and rest properly. After all these years, it seems you _still _have no idea how to take it easy."

Petra chewed her lower lip and exhaled nervously, "Well sure but-"

Timmy gave Petra a smile, shaking his head at her obvious embarrassment of being carried, and turned over his shoulder, "Hey, Short Stuff, you coming? Grab her shoe, will ya?"

"Timmy, don't make jokes like that! Like I said, Levi is a Captain in the Scouts so if you're not going to call him by his title, then at the very least you should-"

"Are you kidding me Pet? It's been almost a decade and the first thing you do is scold me? Talk about cold hearted! Here I thought you would be happy to see me."

"Cold? Hardly! I just…look, how did you even-"

"Know you were here?"

"Well, yeah."

"I told you, your dad gave me the heads up. Actually, he invited me over for dinner. He said that there's been a lot going on in your life, told me you got married, told me that you've apparently gone off the deep end, and that I should come over and try to talk some sense into you."

"Well that sounds about right, but you can save your speeches. _Dad_ is the crazy one here, not me."

"Yeah, James does tend to get a little overprotective of you. Speeches or not, I figured that at the very least it would be nice to catch up with you after all this time. You wouldn't mind that, right?"

"You kidding? After doing nothing but fight with dad for days on end, it'll be nice to have a friend for a change. Sorry if I'm a bit tense, it's just been a little rough being back home after so long and I kind of feel out of place I guess. It really is good to see you though, Timmy."

"Likewise Pet, it's been far too long."

The pair continued talking lightly, and from behind them, Levi gave a tense, irritated sigh as he grabbed her forgotten shoe and followed after the pair in seething, enraged silence.

…

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End of Chapter

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…

Alright, that's just about good for this week I think! For those feeling more chatty, what are your thoughts this week? My husband likes to dabble in martial arts, so for me it was very fun to try and write out all the things I hear him talk about with form and execution and the like, in a manner that of course focuses on their training, but in a setting that is very uniquely different from what they would do at the Scout's headquarters.

And yeah, once again poor Levi. I /swear/ to you I am not writing it in a way to be particularly vengeful or just to build up that tension, but as stated by my own writing as well as just the _practicality_ of the home situation they are in, as much as Levi would rather (clearly) enjoy some more intimate time with his wife, it's a bad time for it. They are attempting to address their legal, but VERY nontraditional wedding, in a time frame that would have been very stringent on said traditions and the role women would play in their society. Add in the other factors – the emotional turmoil and sheer exhaustion they would BOTH be under after fighting all day, every day with the man they are trying to make peace with…not exactly the romantic setting that Petra deserves, nor the setting Levi would want to give to her come that time.

Either way, I'll wrap it up and give a big shoutout and thanks to you guys. Enjoy your week and I'll see you at the next update!

~Mid


	66. The One With Timmy, Tea, and Trouble

Morning everyone!

Happy Sunday, and for my stateside readers, hope you had a good and safe Independence day! On my end, we kept it pretty low key and really stayed in. Did some baking, ordered a pizza – you know, ALL the crazy haha. Either way, it was a nice and relaxing day with my little family unit and it was really nice.

Onto the chapter!

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* * *

…

It wasn't much later that the trio was stationed back in the house; Petra was seated at the kitchen table, Levi was sitting at the opposite end with a soured expression across his face, and Petra's rather troublesome friend 'Timmy' was busying himself in the kitchen, having just finished making the pot of tea.

Petra gave a pleased smile toward her Captain, not immediately picking up on his newly acquired bad mood, and she looked back toward her friend with enthusiasm, "It really _has_ been a while, Timmy. It's been what, eight years since I left for the military? I had asked about you a few times when I came back to visit, and Dad told me you had moved out of the area some time ago. You just rolling by for old time's sake? What have you been up to this whole time?"

The man moved toward the cupboards, reaching up to a cabinet and pulling out two coffee mugs. He carried them back toward the kettle of tea and responded, "Schooling mostly. I got my undergrad a few years ago, completed a three-year internship, and just graduated with my Master's last fall."

"Wait, so you're officially done with your schooling then? That's amazing!"

The blonde stole a glance toward her, chuckling at the sincere surprise across her face and finding himself watching her with a warm smile in return, "Oh, well, thank you Pet. It wasn't easy, but I've always been fond of my studies, and in some ways, it's already paying off and creating new…opportunities for me. And as for being back here, I actually own a house now, on the southern edge of town near the river. Granted this town's still a little on the small side, but its where I grew up, so it feels like home to me."

Petra nodded, "Yeah, I hear you on that. Congratulations on the house by the way, maybe I'll see you around a bit more often. I'll be here for another two or so weeks, and then it's back off to Headquarters again. Of course I love being in the military, but nothing beats the charms of home. It's been a little hectic, trying to work around Dad's incessant need for arguments, my own injuries, and the Captain's training but – oh, here's something you'd be interested in knowing, I broke my ankle a bit back! That's actually why it's so irritated right now, it's still a little sensitive."

Her friend's expression changed, and he looked over toward Petra with a shake of his head, "Is that right. Man Pet, you sure you're really cut out for this sort of thing?"

Petra merely rolled her eyes, "Oh don't fuss about it. I won't lie, it hurt pretty bad, but I made it through alright. Besides, Levi's helping me, you know, train back up, so it's fine. He's actually really good at training people; that's one of the reasons he's such a high-ranking officer in the Scout Regiment. He has a really versatile skill set, and a lot of useful talents."

At her comment, Timmy gave a nod and looked toward Levi more directly, "Ah right right, the famed Humanity's Strongest. I suppose it's quite an honor to meet you like this; so casually and everything. I'm curious - your marriage to Petra, how does something like that even work in the military?" As he spoke, the blonde began pouring the newly made tea into the cups he had grabbed, stealing a slight glance towards the miffed Captain with a studious expression.

Levi looked at the man blankly, merely watching him with a raised eyebrow as though to silently ask, 'What's it to you?'

Seeing his guarded expression, Timmy walked toward them, a cup of tea in each hand as he approached the nearby kitchen table, "Sorry, I'm just not very familiar with the military I'm afraid. I'm sure for both of you it's all obvious and perhaps a little asinine for me to even have to ask at all, but my life has been strictly textbooks and schooling for so long now that I'm admittedly a bit sheltered, regarding such alternative lifestyles I mean. As for the whole Humanity's Strongest thing, is there any special authority that comes with the title, or how does one even go about getting called such a thing? Humanity's Strongest is maybe a little…much, don't you think?"

As Timmy set a porcelain cup down for Petra, the blonde nodded toward Levi flatly, "Oh right. How about you, you drink tea?"

Levi nodded simply, cautiously, and received a simple, and equally curt nod in return. The blonde moved around the table and set the other cup in front of him, walking back toward the kitchen wordlessly. He grabbed an additional cup, pouring himself some tea, then returned back toward the table and sat down at the opposite end.

As though sensing that Levi wouldn't be responding to his questions, considering the long silence that had fallen over the room, Petra took a small drink from the steaming cup that had been placed in front of her and looked between Levi and her friend passively. She set the cup down and tried to pick her words, "Well – and correct me if I'm wrong here Captain - but that title was more given than earned, right? Or is it more the other way around? Sorry, I guess that doesn't make sense does it. How to explain…"

She took another drink of the tea and gave a shrug, again looking toward Levi in attempts to confirm her words, "To my knowledge, Levi has killed more Titans alone than almost the entire military combined, though I don't think there's ever been an official record produced because _someone_," She gave him a pointed stare, "Refuses to keep his file updated for that sort of thing, because heaven forbid the military actually give him proper recognition, but…I digress."

Levi remained silent through her mini tirade and Petra sighed and continued balefully, "Either way, it's not like the title 'Humanity's Strongest' is a rank that's up for grabs or anything, people just…started calling him that I think, due to his rather remarkable performance on the battlefield. It's more of a nickname than an actual rank, and truth be told, I don't think it's one he's ever been particularly fond of. He's not exactly the type that enjoys being in the spotlight, in case you can't tell. It's certainly not a name he picked for himself, if that's what you mean."

At Petra's explanation, Levi gave a simple nod to confirm that her account was as accurate as it could be, because like she had said, it certainly wasn't an 'earned' rank like the set-out roles of Captain or Squad Leader – it just somehow became some tacky, over-dramatic claim that was stapled over him like some garish badge of 'Honor'. It had seemed utterly ridiculous to him because in terms of sheer brute strength, he could think of a few men right off the bat that could outpower him – Mike and Erwin both immediately coming to mind – yet even still, against all odds, the title had somehow stuck. As irritating as it had been at first, it had been out of his hands from the start and in time, he had adjusted to the title, eventually becoming just as used to hearing it as he was to being called 'Captain'.

Taking a small sip of the tea that had been placed in front of him, Levi's mouth tightened into a thin line as he sampled the liquid hesitantly, because the tea was actually…good,_ quite_ good in fact, and while Levi knew he was simply being petty, part of him had been hoping that the tea was subpar. He had been hoping that perhaps it would be bitter or too strong; something else, _anything_ else, that would further validate his strong dislike for the showy, prideful man that had come out of nowhere and gone as far as to carry_ his_ wife back to the house, walking around the area even now as though he owned the damn place.

"Not too fond of the limelight then?" Timmy asked with a small laugh, "Makes sense; I gotta say, you're admittedly a rather quiet guy. Even still, I'd love to hear things from your perspective. Levi, was it? James tells me that you're actually Petra's direct commanding officer, that she's in your chain of command or however that works. How has that been? Was it weird, marrying someone from your own team?" He took a seat at the table and added in as a sort of afterthought, "Frankly, I'm surprised to hear that the military even allows such a thing."

For as light as his tone was, Petra could still sense the sudden and rising tension in the room. While she knew that Levi tended to be rather guarded in front of people he wasn't familiar with and as a result preferred to speak as sparingly as possible, she was keenly aware that it went_ deeper _than just his reserved and suspicious nature alone. As much as she was hoping that he would play nice and get along – Timmy had been a friend of hers for many years, a _good_, honest and supportive friend that reminded her so much of the relationship she now had with Eld - she supposed it couldn't be helped. Levi had been battered and belittled, they _both_ had been, since the moment they had walked through the door, and she was certain that the Captain was more than a little wary of yet another friend from her past that was already hinting towards a strong dislike of their military 'lifestyle'.

Even still, with the way Timmy had directed his questions toward Levi specifically, it wouldn't be right for her to jump in again; if anything it would just make the tension worse. She looked toward Levi with questioning eyes, and he looked back toward her for a moment as though sensing her agitated nerves, before finally looking toward the blonde and taking a breath, because it seemed that conversing with the stranger was unavoidable.

He tried not to sigh.

"You said you're not familiar with the military, right? I imagine there's a _number_ of rules you aren't familiar with then. As for Petra, her rank should speak for itself. She's very successful in her field and has earned her place as a top performer in the Scout Regiment. Of course, there was an adjustment period that occurred after the wedding because some changes were inevitable, but our marriage hasn't changed the fact that we are still active members of the military with jobs and tasks to see to."

There was a quiet grumble from Timmy, who was frowning at Levi's carefully worded response that gave_ very _little information away in terms of the circumstances behind their marriage, nor the rules and regulations that allowed such a thing to begin with. The blonde shook his head and returned Levi's gaze with a frown, "Oh? That's a shame. Granted not that _you_ would know, but ever since I can remember, Pet has always talked about having a big wedding, going somewhere fancy on her honeymoon, eventually settling down and starting a family – to hear that you got married and that your lives just…_kept _on going like nothing had changed, well, I can't help but wonder if that's enough for her. I kinda thought you wanted more than that, Pet. Your dad wasn't too specific, but to be clear, I understand that you got married to stay in the military, more than an actual relationship or love or anything, right?"

There was a small, uneasy laugh from Petra, and she nodded toward Timmy in admission, somewhat embarrassed by his previous words because she knew much of what he had said was all _brand-new_ information for Levi, who would undoubtedly be puzzling over what he had just learned about her. She hadn't ever told him about what she had wanted in her youth regarding the type of wedding she desired, or that she_ had_ perhaps once dreamed of having a family of her own, because it simply hadn't mattered at the time. Their marriage had started as a mere means to an end where she had dismissed those things as outright impossible, but somewhere along the way, things had changed and led them to, well, wherever it was they were now. Yet still, even _with_ those adjustments, she couldn't ever turn around and try to tell him how he needed to handle his role in their 'marriage' because it simply wouldn't be fair to him.

What they had now was already more than either of them had initially bargained for, and to ask for more seemed almost selfish.

Petra cleared her throat and looked toward Timmy seriously, "Well, for one, I've grown up a bit since then. And sure, perhaps there are some areas that weren't as polished or what I dreamed of when I was younger in regards towards my getting married, but that's okay." She looked into the table then, almost shyly, and a light smile pulled at her lips as she thought about all that had changed in the last six months, all the unexpected twists and turns that had undoubtedly changed her life for the better.

"Even still, Levi…treats me well. I'm actually making a_ difference _in my career, and I feel that what I do actually_ matters _and helps people in the military, and by extension, civilians too. Sure, I guess that sometimes I may miss what's not in the cards for me, but more than that, it feels great to be living for something that's bigger than me and so I guess in the end…I've found it to be more than a fair trade."

Petra gave a somber shake of her head and eventually exhaled thickly as she stared into her cup of tea, eyeing her wavering reflection through the tea's surface, "I'm just sorry you had to hear about it all from the scope of Dad's perspective; he just doesn't get it. He disagrees with my decision of being in the military, so he tried to take that all away from me by force because he doesn't understand what I want _most _out of life. What's worse, he hasn't even _tried_ to understand, not once. Captain and I, we came down here to try and make things right. Not that Dad has to agree, but what's done is done, you know? I was hoping that Dad would at least try to bury the hatchet and accept how things are now, but he's been nothing short of insufferable."

"Well you've gotta understand Pet," Timmy spoke evenly as he watched her with an equal note of seriousness, "he probably feels just as backed into a corner as you do. He doesn't want his only child to die a terrible death, and is doing his job as a father and trying to protect you, through whatever means possible so it would seem. To be honest, I can't say I really blame him either. The military is intense enough as it is, but you're out on the front lines with the Scouts, and that's pretty sobering to think about. I get that you're mad at him and that you feel he's being blind to your choices, but we both know that he cares about you more than anything else in this world, and even if_ you_ have accepted your premature death, you can bet that he hasn't and will keep fighting you on it every step of the way."

Petra slowly looked up from her cup and eyed him suspiciously, "Timmy, please tell me you aren't taking_ his_ side in all this. I just told you that it's been a miserable trip so far and if I have to hear one more speech about how I shouldn't get to choose the direction that _my life_ is headed just because I obviously don't 'know' what I want yet, I'm going to lose it."

Timmy smirked, "Sides? Please, you know I'm far too intelligent to actually pit myself between the two of you when you're fighting like this. I'd rather just point out that you both have a right to your emotions. Your father is frustrated with you, and with good reason, because you went off and got married out of the blue. _You_ seem to be happy with your choices, and for that, I'm happy _for_ you. What's more, you said this guy here is treating you well, which is good, because anything less and I'd have to rough him up a bit."

At this, his sudden choice of words, Petra was outright laughing, looking between Levi and Timmy with wide eyes and pointing between them dramatically, "Wait, wait. Are you…was that an actual _threat_, Timmy? _You?_" she giggled at the outright absurdity of his statement, amused all the more by the dark sort of challenging stare that Levi was now watching the man with as though to say, 'Just try it, I _dare_ you.'

Petra was laughing harder still, struggling to breathe between waves of laughter, "You are smart enough to stay out of the fight between me and my dad, yet stupid enough to take on my _Captain?_ Humanity's _Strongest?_ What in the name of Maria do you think you'd even do to him? What, lecture him to death, like the bookworm you are? Hate to tell you this Timmy, but you don't stand a _chance_ against Levi. He would beat you to a pulp before you so much as clenched your fists!"

Taking her raucous laughter in stride, Timmy gave a chuckle and shrugged, "Hey, I never said I'd _win_. It's the principle more than anything, but I mean, whatever works I guess. I _could_ always lecture him I suppose, play to my strengths and give him a stern talking to that he wouldn't soon forget."

Petra rolled her eyes and wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, nodding haughtily as she spoke, "Oh right, now_ that _would teach him for sure. Although I gotta admit, you're somewhat more on track with that one. Back home, there's a researcher named Hanji who's a bit of a bookworm too, and she can get under his skin effortlessly. If you're really out for blood, then talk to her for pointers. She can irritate the hell out of him. You know what they say, if you can't beat them, then annoy them until they…well, probably outright _end _you. But hey, it's all about the principle, right?"

As Petra continued laughing mirthfully with her longtime friend, the sound of the door opening could only be slightly heard, and a new voice grabbed their attention, "Oh hey now, what's that I hear? Is that Petra I hear laughing? Well if _Petra's _laughing, that could only mean one thing," there were footsteps from the hallway, and James walked in the room with an actual smile for a change as he looked around and noted their additional guest, "Tim my boy, you stopped by after all! Good to see you, lad!"

The blonde gave an acknowledging, 'Hey!' and stood up from the table as he moved across the room, the men exchanging a firm handshake for a moment, although after their handshake, James actually pulled the man _toward_ him and gave a slap on his back in a sort of casual hug. It didn't escape Levi's notice that Petra's father had actually called the man 'Tim' rather than his full name of 'Timothy' as he had corrected previously, and it only reconfirmed the fact that the blonde was intentionally making a point of keeping Levi _specifically_ at a distance.

It was as Petra's father came more into the room, bringing in bags of groceries and setting them down in the kitchen, Timmy joining him in the task and assisting in putting the groceries away, that Levi cleared his throat, intrigued by the apparent closeness between the two men because it was a rather interesting detail. When Petra had spoken of her friend previously, she spoke as though Timmy was more a friend of _hers_ than her fathers, however had also confirmed that she herself hadn't seen him since coming into the military, and certainly hadn't spoken of him as though he were a mutual, family friend, so the warm reception between the two men, the fact that Timothy knew his way around the kitchen surprisingly well for someone who supposedly hadn't been around in over eight years, struck the Captain as admittedly off.

No, it seemed more safe to assume that the friendship between Petra's father and Timothy had largely grown only _after_ Petra had left for the military, and if that were true, that _was_ a rather interesting factoid that made red flags go off in the Captain's mind. While perhaps a little too early to suspect such a thing, Levi could think of only a few reasons as to why a man_ intentionally_ grew closer to a woman's father, and his dislike and suspicion of the blonde only grew all the more.

He cleared his throat, "So,_ Timothy_, it seems you have a lot of history with the Ral family. I'm guessing you've managed to keep good relations with James at least, while Petra's been away? You all seem to be rather close with each other, but to my knowledge I don't recall seeing Petra receive even a single letter from you over the years, as those things always go through my hands first. School kept you fairly busy it would seem - what was your field of study?"

Timothy had turned around to respond, however Petra's father beat him to the punch, his smile waning as he watched the Captain seriously, "Listen here Ackerman, Tim has been good enough to keep in touch with me over the years during his schooling. I'll have you know that these two snot nosed brats grew up together, so it's still nice to hear from him every so often as it reminds me of a time that my daughter was still around and not risking her life on the daily for scum like you. For the record boy, _he_ can call me whatever he wants, and_ you_ can continue to call me Mr. Ral - I actually_ like_ him, but in case you forgot, I'm not fond of_ you, _so don't sit there pretending that we're on a first name basis kid."

At her father's harsh words and snide tone, Petra was already on her feet, "Dad! How can you be so-"

Her words died on her tongue, because in her passionate knee jerk response, she had forgotten about her ankle and had mistakenly used it to stand in an irate huff, and as her ankle throbbed and already began to give out beneath her, she gave a cry as she fell back into her chair instantly, knocking her tea over as she gripped the table's edge to ensure she fell back into her chair and not onto the floor.

"Pet!"

"Baby, what's wrong?"

While the men were all quick to respond, Levi's speed was unmatched, and he was instantly at her side before the other men could so much as take a step into the room. He gave a stern look as he pulled out the adjacent chair and set her foot up on it, "Petra," he whispered firmly, hushed in a way that wouldn't be overheard, "I don't _care_ what he says to me, you've got to be more careful. I can't train you back up if you keep making stupid decisions like this and getting hurt at every turn."

Before Petra could respond further, he looked up toward James and glared, "Alright Ral, or _whatever_ the hell it is you want me to call you, Petra's ankle is weak after training so instead of cozying up to your boy 'Timmy' over there, perhaps you could make yourself useful for a change and get me some fucking ice."

Levi's tone had been far from gentle, and for a moment both men watched each other tensely. James exhaled lowly, "Tim, get Petra some ice if you will please."

The blonde gave a nod and moved back around the kitchen easily, more than happy to not be involved in the sudden brewing argument, and James took a step toward Levi, crossing his arms darkly as he stared down at him in obvious displeasure, "Listen here boy, you said you were _training?_ My baby girl broke her ankle because _you _couldn't manage your own _team_ properly, and now you're pressing her even harder when she's finally getting to take some time off for a change? What's more, I'm gone for a mere _two hours_ and just like that you let her get injured _again_ under your watch? Don't know when to quit, do you? Are you trying to break her ankle all over again?"

"I'm _fixing_ your daughter's ankle." Levi corrected tensely as he stood up from the ground, also taking a step toward the man and looking up at him narrowly, "Although perhaps you _would_ think it's better to have her crippled where she can't so much as stand without help, because that would certainly make her easier to control."

James clicked his tongue and chuckled darkly, "Well you _would_ know a thing or two about that, wouldn't you? Say what you want about me boy, but you're the one who's got his fists clenched so tightly that he won't let her so much as_ breathe_ without your say so. You know, for being 'Humanity's Strongest' you're as disappointing as you are small. I'd rather die in the mouth of a Titan then give my blessing to some half-pint runt who gets off on watching the deaths of innocent children."

"Certainly big talk coming from someone who hasn't even _seen_ what a Ti-"

"Enough!" Petra suddenly shouted, her voice cracking from the strain as she looked over her shoulder and she locked eyes with her father and Captain, so angered by their baiting words that tears were brimming her eyes as she berated them both, "I can't take this anymore! It's been days of shouting and insults and pettiness and I'm_ sick_ of it!" She looked around the room in attempts to collect herself, breathing heavily as emotion overwhelmed her and gave a single nod toward her friend, "Timmy, I'm sorry, this isn't your fault and I'm sorry you have to be here at all for this but, Dad - Levi is my husband! I don't care if you hate him or if you think he's uncaring or unworthy or whatever you try to throw at him, but when will you get it through your head that I'm not here for your approval. What's more, Levi isn't here for your 'blessing' either, he's here because I _asked _him to be – he's here for_ my_ sake alone, _not _yours, so you treating him like you're holding something over his head just pisses me off because you can keep your stupid, good for nothing blessing!"

At her father's momentary shock and Levi's equally stupefied look, she groaned and put her head in her hands as the hot tears finally streamed down her face, regardless her previous attempts of keeping her tears at bay. "Dad, I traveled for three _days_ just to get here and to try and make peace with you. Captain didn't have to come but he did and you just…" she cleared her throat and her expression tightened, "He's _important_ to me, Dad, and I need you to understand that I can't just sit here and watch you disrespect my Captain like this. He's done everything for me and protected me and watched my back and…look, he's a true friend of mine and I really_ care_ about him."

The room had fallen silent at Petra's words, and she gave a slight grimace as she turned in her chair to give her father a dismayed, angered frown, "If you can't behave and at the very least treat him respectfully or even just _amicably_; if all you can do is bait him and belittle him, then I promise you that I will get up right now and…" she looked at her ankle narrowly and adjusted her words with a tense huff, "That is to say, that Levi – _Captain_ will get up right now and pack our things, and we will be gone tonight! _After_ dinner though, because I'm starving and it's a long trip back home."

"Alright now listen here honey, let's not get too hasty just yet. I get you're mad, but you're supposed to be here for a while longer yet so-"

"So what!" Petra cut him off sharply, "I'm here to fix this, but it seems you're only interested in fighting, so it's a battle you'll have to fight alone because I'm too exhausted to keep doing this. I haven't seen you in almost two years, I haven't seen Timmy since before I went into the military, and regardless what really matters here, _each other,_ all you've done is continuously pick fights with me and Levi. Seriously Dad, if this is all it's going to be then I'm out, because I'd rather _not_ have my memories consist solely of us screaming at each other for two weeks!"

She watched as her father's expression fell into a sort of bitter, contemplative pout, and after a few moments of tense silence, Petra glared darkly, "Now _apologize_, or we're leaving. I mean it, Dad."

The older man watched Petra with a long stare as though testing her resolve, and eventually gave a long sigh when her gaze merely narrowed in challenge, "Well baby girl, I'm _not _sorry, but if it keeps you here then I'll bite my tongue and take it back. You just take it easy for a bit, because I think the pain is getting to your head."

She snorted, "Right. The _pain_ is the real problem here; it couldn't possibly be that disgusting _attitude _of yours. Now let's try this again because you seem to have forgotten your manners, Dad." She took an intentional breath, and with a fake, pleasant smile, looked toward Levi and nodded firmly, "Levi, this is my father, James Ral. Dad, this is my Captain and husband, Levi Ackerman. All this pettiness is to stop immediately. Now_ both_ of you, shake hands and play nice."

Regardless her rather firm statement, there was a moment where neither male moved, and Petra rolled her eyes, turning over her shoulder again to give yet another icy glare toward the stubborn men that seemed to purposely stall in place as it seemed neither of them wanted to be the first to move. Her eyes narrowed, "Now!"

There was another degree of muted hesitance, though eventually James sighed in defeat and stepped closer to Levi, extending his hand with a glare, "James."

Levi tried not to roll his eyes and merely shook the man's hand in return, barely able to resist the urge to crush his hand within his strong grip, because while he knew her father had been testing her patience and so this was her outright snapping in response, he wasn't sure what forcing them to get along would actually accomplish in the long run.

He shook the man's hand just the once and gave an equally quipped, "Levi."

Petra surveyed the bitter exchange and after the exchanged handshake, stole a glance around the room, "Timmy, Timmy where'd you run off to?" she found the blonde, who was watching the interaction with wide eyes, and she pointed toward him darkly, "What? As if this is the first time you've see me lose my temper? As if. Now stop standing there and give me that ice pack, sod for brains."

The blonde sighed as he walked toward her, "Man Pet, you really are a chip off the old block. Just one of you _alone_ is bad enough when you're mad, but now _both_ of you are here with that infamous Ral temper on full display, and what's more, I'm starting to get the feeling that this guy you've brought with you has a fiery temper of his own to match. I'm almost starting to regret being over here for dinner; I think my very life might be at risk."

He handed Petra the ice pack, and from behind him, James sighed, "Oh come now Tim, don't be ridiculous. If it changes your mind, I bought all the right ingredients and I thought that since it's been so long, Petra could cook us a proper meal and-" James sighed as he looked down at Petra from her seated position, eyes focusing on her obviously swollen ankle, "Although I wasn't aware she had gotten injured." Again her father made a point of shooting an accusatory stare toward Levi, although fearing his daughter's anger, said nothing more and continued, "Maybe we should-"

"No Dad, it's fine. Really. It's just a little swollen more than anything, so it's no big deal." Petra looked up toward her father and gave a brave smile, not wanting the entire night to revolve around her injury. For one, it was demeaning, and what was more, it was obvious that her being hurt was a major source of tension in the room that only continued to fester. She didn't want her injury to be what kept fueling the fire, so if she could just play it off a little, it was likely that her father would drop the issue and not give Levi so much trouble. Besides, considering how much she had accomplished while she was in even worse shape, surely she could still do something as simple as cook a meal, right?

At the very least, it was worth a shot.

Petra shifted herself off the chair and slowly stood back up, being careful to not put any weight on her ankle as she stood, and taking great care to ensure that she didn't wince when her ankle throbbed fiercely from her change of position. She gave a cheerful, forced smile, "Honestly, cooking does sound pretty fun – it's not exactly like I have access to a full kitchen back home, so it will be a nice change of pace. What all did you get? Something specific you have in mind, or were you just restocking the basics?"

As she was speaking, there was a sudden hand on her arm and Petra shook her head knowingly, not even having to look to know who it was that had reached out to her in concern. She drummed her fingers against the table nervously, knowing that for all the people in the room, Levi _would_ see through her bluff effortlessly. She turned toward him slightly and nodded with a rather direct, pleading stare, "Captain, I'll be fine. It's just some light walking around, and I can balance on my normal leg to ease up on the _pressure_."

When his expression remained even and unchanged; when his hand merely tightened around her arm all the more, as though to say that he understood her angle (and not so subtle word play), but he outright disagreed because it just wasn't worth it, she gave him a nervous shrug, "It's only for a little bit, and I'll sit down for the night after that, okay? I can handle this, Captain. Just…leave it to me."

With a sigh, Levi released her arm.

Saying nothing more, the resigned Captain walked into the kitchen with sudden purpose – grabbing the attention of everyone in the room as they pondered what the man might suddenly be up to. Hardly even noticing their stares, Levi moved to the sink absentmindedly, grabbing the washcloth nearby and walked back to the table, setting to work on cleaning up the still present mess that had been bothering him for some time now.

As Levi silently wiped the table down from where Petra's tea had spilled, both James and Timmy exchanged a 'What in the world?' sort of look, whereas Petra could only smirk knowingly as she watched him in amusement.

In truth, she was surprised it had taken him this long.

…

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End Of Chapter

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...

Alright so I'll admit, this section is a bit of a trifecta, as a lot of you commented from last week it was a not quite cliff hanger but it leaves something to be desired, and in some ways, this chapter is the same way. I wish I could post it all at one go when it comes to sections like this that are best read in one go, however I'd run out of material SO fast and yall know I want to keep a good number of chapters ahead to make sure that I always have thought out and edited material at the ready for ya.

Either way, this is a decent stopping place for it and this section. Thank you to all my readers and those who take the time to write out their thoughts because that /really/ helps me understand how my writing comes across and if what I'm needing to communicate is actually coming through or not. I appreciate it so much! See yall next update!

~Mid


	67. The One Over Dinner

Morning readers!

Happy Sunday, and a bit early, but happy birthday to me! Because tomorrow is my birthday! Let the celebratory canons fire! Usually I'd induldge in posting on my birthday, but a back to back update sounds exhausting (bday is tomorrow) but posting later instead just seemed cruel. So alas, no birthday update this year, but none the less. Thanks for everything and enjoy the chapter!

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…

It was just over an hour later that Petra was hovering near the stove, bringing a spoon toward her mouth and sampling the gravy she had made, being careful to blow on the steaming mixture so it didn't burn her tongue as she tasted it one last time in a sort of final assessment.

She smacked her lips together thoughtfully and gave a satisfied nod, "Alright, this is good to go. Hey Captain, would you mind taking this one too? Pan is still pretty hot, so be careful. There's some hot pads in that drawer, just left of the sink."

At her request, Levi nodded from where he had been standing against the kitchen wall, pushing off the surface and grabbing the aforementioned hot pads, before grabbing the pan silently and setting it near the other plates of food that were arranged in the center of the table.

From the table where both Timmy and James were seated, the older man gave a smile, "Looks good, Baby. Is that the last of it?"

Petra turned back toward her father and nodded as she leaned against the counter, mentally reviewing all her tasks and taking one last sweeping glance across the table, "Yeah, I think we're all set. Is there anything to drink, or are we all good with water I presume?"

Her father gave a grin and looked toward where Timmy was sitting, "Water for me tonight. Actually, I was thinking that after this, Tim and I could go and catch a drink maybe? What do you say lad, you game?"

"I'd enjoy getting a drink with you James; I'd consider it an honor. Besides, I don't really have other plans outside of this, so my evening is pretty flexible."

At the mention of their making plans, Petra's expression turned expectant as she gave her father a rather intense warning stare, and her father gave a cough as he realized the cause of Petra's sudden glower, "And uh, listen Levi, maybe if you aren't doing anything then you could join us? I mean, if you _wanted_ of course. Granted, I'm _sure_ you're a busy individual, so I understand if you can't make it. No shame in having responsibilities after all, right?"

Having caught Petra's 'you kidding me' glare from the corner of his eye, as well as the forced note to her father's tone, Levi almost snorted at the not so open invitation that clearly _encouraged_ him to back out, and he shook his head flatly, "No. I do in fact have responsibilities with the Garrison in the morning, so I'll need to prepare for that."

James gave an amicable, but notably relieved sigh, "Oh, well, what a shame. Perhaps next time, then."

"…Perhaps." Levi added in simply, enjoying the way the man's expression fell at the mere notion that Levi perhaps_ would _be joining their outings in the future.

Before the conversation could carry on further, Timmy stood up from the table, moving straight toward Petra with a large grin. As he walked toward her, he held his arms out purposefully, "You've worked so hard for us Pet; do allow me to escort you to your seat, m'lady."

As he crossed the floor, Petra's eyes narrowed, and she tilted her head back defensively, swatting her hands at him when he tried to lean toward her intentionally, "By carrying me again? I don't think so. I told you to put me down the first time, and you didn't, so if you think I'm just going to sit here and let you pick me up again, you're sadly mistaken. You come one step closer and I'll slug you outright."

Timmy allowed his arms to fall to his sides and he gave her a chiding, amused shake of his head, "You know Pet, most women would _enjoy_ the offer of being carried around. Isn't that like, a common fantasy that women have – getting picked up so effortlessly because it makes you feel oh so feminine and beautiful?"

Petra all but snorted and crossed her arms smugly, "And that means _what_ to me? Let's not forget, I'm a lone female, on a squad of men, in the military, where I am in a boring white uniform and wear riding boots all day long."

"While strapped head to toe in _leather_…" the blonde mumbled to himself with a smirk, and if _Petra_ didn't catch his words, Levi certainly had.

"Oi, what was that?" the Captain stated lowly, watching Timmy in a mix between outright suspicion and pure disgust, and as though he hadn't even heard his clear offense, Timmy waved grandly toward Petra's chair as he pulled it out for her with a brilliant smile.

"Your chair, m'lady."

Petra exhaled at his words and gave a determined nod as she thought about how to safely cross the room in her condition, using the counter to work her way across the room step by step. When she reached the edge of the cabinets and it came time for her to take the three steps across the open floor_ without_ any support, Levi came up from behind her and pulled her up by the hips, easily bridging the gap in a single smooth motion as he set her down by her chair gently. He heard a surprised gasp from Petra, but she didn't struggle in the short few steps it had taken to move her, and Levi had to bite back a smirk as he watched her, because the back of her neck was already turning red, "Oh, thanks Captain."

"Oh sure, you let _him_ pick you up, but I'm just chopped liver."

From behind her, Levi made a point of giving him a very intentional, dark glower, speaking up before Petra had the chance because enough was enough. The man was pushy, intentionally manipulative with his words, and Levi was sick of watching him belittle her under the guise of being some long-lost friend.

"I'm her husband. _I_ can touch her however I want, because she's _my _wife."

Instead of being threatened by Levi's tone of warning, Timmy only gave a cough of a laugh as though _amused_ by his words, and nodded toward the Captain smugly, "Oh? Well from what _I've_ heard, that's not _completely_ true, now is it?"

Petra's mouth fell open, and she spoke up quickly, "Cups! I forgot the cups! Levi, how about _you_ grab the cups, and Timmy, how about you _shut your mouth before I shut it for you."_

Levi had heard her, but all he could focus on was the sound of his own heart _pounding_ in his ears, all but seeing red at her pompous, so called 'friend's words, but then Petra lightly tapped on his arm, "Uh, will you, Levi? The cups? Please? We need them for the water so…"

He pressed his lips together and sneered, but turned back toward the kitchen dutifully because if Petra didn't want him to pursue it, which apparently she didn't considering how quickly she was fumbling about to intervene, then there was nothing more he could do but take the blow to his pride and move on.

Fuck.

While Petra was clearly_ trying _to keep her voice down, he was only ten feet away, so he didn't miss it when her voice came from behind him, a sharpness to her words as she spoke in a venomous whisper that was aimed towards the table, "Timmy, what's the matter with you? That's none of your business, and for your information he _can _touch me however he wants, so how about you suck on that for a while, you smug prick. How did you even-" There was a sudden pause and Petra's eyes fell to her father with a knowing glare, "Dad, since when did you become such a gossip? Why are we still even talking about this? Whatever happens between us is just between him and me and it has absolutely nothing to do with either of you. I'm _telling_ both of you to back off, right now. You push him much further, and I will not be held responsible for his actions because you'll have brought it on yourselves. All I ask is for one simple dinner, without argument, without backhanded statements about the military, no snide remarks about my sex life – just friends and family sharing a meal. Is that really too much to ask? You're unbelievable!"

"Calm down baby, you know Tim was just josh'n with him anyway. Can't help it the man's just that insecure about himself."

"Now James, I _was_ out of line. I'm sorry, okay Pet? I just can't help but give him a hard time, you know, make sure he's worthy of a woman like yourself. You don't have a big brother to keep him in line, so I figure I'm the closest thing to put the fear of god in him. I know it's a long shot, and I'm not sure I'll ever intimidate him - But if it bothers you, I'll ease up."

"Thank you."

From the other end of the room, Levi held back a bitter, still unsatisfied sigh. He supposed he should have been flattered by her words, perhaps excited by the premise that Petra felt so comfortable with the idea of them being together in such a manner, that she could talk about it so openly with others, but at the same time, Levi all but grimaced at the thought of making good on that_ here._ In her father's house, under the weight of her father's authority, where he himself was being belittled as a Captain and as a _man_ at every turn.

While he would _somewhat_ gracefully endure it, for Petra's sake, he was more than looking forward to getting out of this miserable hell hole, because the days had been long, _so_ damn long, and it had been over fifteen some years since people had intentionally treated him so disrespectfully.

But.

He had proposed to her. He had seen things were changing between them, and hell, he had practically welcomed it because in truth, he enjoyed the affections. He had kissed her, had stayed with her, had indulged her because she was his wife, and for as long as they were alive, she would_ be _his wife, till the very end.

In some ways, this was just a part of their deal – a natural consequence of his unexpected involvement in her life in a way that was so messy and unkempt that it was bound to have its drawbacks. For anyone else, he would have long walked away and allowed the bridge to burn without so much as a second thought, but for _Petra's_ sake and hers alone, he would endure it.

For now.

…

* * *

…

"You know, this reminds me," Timmy said warmly with a sudden chuckle, nodding toward Petra as he swallowed the food in his mouth and continued, "Of that first time you had me over for dinner? You didn't even tell your father that you had invited me because it was some new recipe or whatever. You remember that?"

Petra had been eating with an amused smile of her own, but at the mention of her 'new recipe' her eyes went wide and she all but spit the food out, having to cover her mouth with her hand at her less than gracious display, practically snorting at the memory and certain she'd end up launching half chewed food across the table by mistake.

In an instant, her eyes went to Levi, almost embarrassed by her display as her laughter tempered slightly in fear of his reaction. She had expected that Levi would have given her a perturbed look, as he was a little 'finicky' about behavior during meals, and snorting while having a mouth full of food that was liable to be spit out from laughing_ was _admittedly a less than hygienic display – but he merely sat in continued silence, his expression hardly changing as though he hadn't even noticed.

Petra made a mental note of his still obvious discomfort, but knew that calling him out and forcing him into the conversation would only make it worse, and rather allowed her attention to drift back to the more lively side of the table.

Her father was also laughing heartily, "Oh I _do_ remember that! Man, that was so terrible. What was it you were trying to make again, baby? Your own take on something that your mama used to make, something like that? You always did try to follow after her footsteps."

Petra smirked, "Soup. I wanted to impress you both with my own interpretation of a new soup I invented."

At her confirmation, Timmy laughed and rubbed his eyes as the laughter only grew all the more between them, "Oh that's right! Gods, I didn't even know food could _taste_ that bad! You added so much junk to the pot and it all but melted into the pan like some horrible brick. You were so insistent that we all try it, but we couldn't even get it out with a_ fork_. I remember, James felt so bad that we ended up going out for dinner that evening because you wouldn't stop crying."

Petra gave a laugh of her own at the memory, "And let's not forget, the smell didn't leave the kitchen for weeks. Dad had to open the windows and doors just to get a cross breeze going in the dead of winter, just to air out the house, because it was _that_ bad."

As she spoke, it didn't escape her notice that there was an obvious twinkle of amusement in the Captain's eyes, and even if it was at her expense, Petra couldn't deny the sort of calm that she suddenly felt, pleased to know that Levi found humor in the stories of her childhood.

Her father continued poking at his food, a proud expression across his face as he continued the conversation, "Oh, but we'd be doing such a disservice to just stop there. Let's not forget that you were so embarrassed from that night that you shaped up real fast and learned how to cook properly, and cook_ well._ Let me tell you Tim, I ate like a king before my sweet princess tore off into the military. Best food in a hundred miles, I guarantee it. It's a real shame you didn't do something more with that talent baby."

Her father took a bite of the food and gave her a knowing stare as his expression turned more serious, "Hate to tell you this honey, but it seems you've lost your touch. The chicken is somewhat dry, and everything is just sort of bland. I mean, I _guess_ it's alright for someone who hasn't cooked in so long, but this pales in comparison to what you used to make for us each night. I'm kind of disappointed."

The smile on Petra's face fell and she blinked at her father's sudden correction. Before she could find her words – her throat felt suddenly very tight – there was a sigh from Timmy, "Well hey, it's not the _worst _Pet, I mean, you'll be here for another week or so, right? Considering how talented you used to be, you'll pick it right back up and shake off the dust. Just like riding a bike!"

She opened her mouth to respond, giving an embarrassed nod and a fake pleasant smile, finding that she still didn't know what to say. It was silly, she knew it didn't really matter if her cooking was great or bad or somewhere in between considering she was a_ soldier_ for Maria's sake – so she wasn't certain why their words picked at her pride viciously, to the extent that she felt notably embarrassed by their feedback.

Not seeming to notice her discomfort, her father cleared his throat and slapped his hands lightly onto the table's surface, giving a sort of chuckle as he stood, "Well, that's about all I can choke down. How 'bout it, lad? Wanna go grab a drink with me, catch up and talk about what you've been up to lately?"

Tim nodded simply, wiping his mouth with a napkin as he stood to join the man, and James looked across the table toward Petra, "Alright baby, we're off. You okay cleaning this up, with your ankle and all that?"

"I'll be fine, Dad." She whispered quietly as she stared into the table, and the direction of her father's voice changed.

"And…you. Ackerman. You're certain you don't want to come, right? Don't want you saying that you weren't invited."

"Pass. I'll stay here and clean up from dinner."

At Levi's response, James blinked and shrugged, "Suit yourself. Night baby girl, I'll see you in the morning."

It was as they were walking out, having closed the door behind them and standing just outside the front door that James spoke with a sort of huff – likely believing they were far enough away that he wouldn't be overheard, "That guy she brought home, man, what a piece of work. I don't like him in the slightest. He's quiet, has a fowl mouth, and I'm pretty sure he's never laughed in his entire life. Can't imagine what Petra sees in a social outcast like him."

"Well, _she _seems to like him a great deal; she made a quite point of standing up for him and even threatened to leave."

"Yeah, she's been like that the whole time. So touchy about that scrawny little punk where you can't so much as look at him wrong without her getting huffy - makes me sick. If I had my way, he'd be sleeping in the streets because I don't trust him, not in my house, not with my things, and most certainly not with my own daughter."

Hearing this, her father's clear disdain and the outright disrespect he spoke with from just outside the house, Petra's eyes shot to Levi, though much like before, his expression hardly changed in the slightest, even though she knew full well that he had_ also_ heard her father's extremely rude statements.

Even still, he simply turned back to his plate and continued eating, as though not bothered in the slightest – and Petra hung her head in her hands as a silence fell over the room, her elbows resting up on the table as sheer exhaustion, disbelief and undeniable embarrassment ran through her.

She spoke quietly, feeling the need to say something because if she didn't, she was certain she would start crying instead. "He's…my father. And he's a good man, truly, but he's showing you his absolute worst because of me. I know everything he's saying is really personal, but it has _nothing_ to do with you Levi. I'm so, so sorry that you have to deal with this. It's just me he's mad at and…" She took a breath and stared into the table as she spoke in quiet conviction, "I don't know how, but I'll make it up to you. For everything. I'm so sorry. I had no idea it would be this bad, and I feel so terrible for putting you through all this."

Petra didn't dare look up from the table, too embarrassed by what was said, by the insults her father had thrown at them, to look at him any longer. The only sound that could be heard was her own breathing, the sound echoing in the small space that was created by her draped hair and arms, that, and the sound of the light tapping of Levi's fork as he continued eating.

Something about the noise caught her attention, and Petra gave another sigh as a light smile came to her lips, "Levi…look, you're really sweet but you don't have to keep eating it just to make me feel better. If it's bad then-"

"It's fine." Levi stated passively, "Easily ten times better than anything we have back home, that's for sure."

Petra blinked at his words, slowly looking up from the table in pure shock. When Levi caught her mystified, vulnerable stare, he couldn't deny the warmth in his chest and he gave a lopsided smile, "Now granted 'Princess', I'll admit you're not exactly on the ropes of opening your own restaurant just yet, but who gives a damn. Not that I'm known for manners, but_ I_ was always taught that when someone gives you a meal, especially in today's economy, you say _thank you, _not critique the fuck out of it like you're some pompous food critic._"_

He snorted to himself in sudden amusement, missing Petra's growing blush at his apparent ongoing quest to find her a fitting nickname, and Levi continued with a shake of his head, "But I'll bet your stupid 'Timmy' probably _thinks_ he is – man clearly thinks pretty big of himself, considering he's nothing more than a pathetic kiss ass to you and your old man."

Petra's expression changed, and at her strange look, a mix between confusion and sheer amusement, Levi paused from his rant and look toward her, wondering if he had stepped over the line by insulting her friend, who by all means had insulted him first. He sighed, "…What? And what's _that_ look for? Fucking…tell me you've _noticed_?"

Her expression morphed into a warm smile and she shook her head, "No, no I've noticed I just…" she shrugged and watched him with a shy smile, "You've been really quiet, Captain. I know you aren't comfortable here, and I can't blame you, I just…I know you already know this, but I feel it's important to say it. You're a good man, Levi. Even though my father is doing everything he can to put you down, you need to know that I will always think the world of you, truly."

"So, _thank you_." Petra stated suddenly, her expression pointed and serious as she watched him directly, "For all of this. For being here, and for not punching my dad even though he's said more than enough to justify you putting him in his place. For being so patient and kind and-" she was blushing immensely, and she gave a laugh as she shook her head, waving a hand in defeat, "I just, ugh, why are you so perfectly cool about everything? It's not even fair!"

At her praise, Levi felt a smile pull at his lips and could only give a shrug, because he didn't find his actions to be particularly 'cool' or noteworthy – more than anything he was just keeping his temper in check in attempts to not assault her father – but if in the process he had gained Petra's admiration, he supposed that was a nice bonus. He returned back to his plate and took a few more bites, thinking of her words, and knowing full well that Petra was perhaps 'cool' in her own way even though she didn't seem to realize it, because she had to put up with _his _mannerisms on the daily, and she wasn't seeming to recognize the grace she handled herself with, being married to her own Captain, on a squad that was comprised of men. He wasn't sure if he could think of another woman who could balance such a role so effortlessly, and she had done it with a grace and dignity that was almost baffling to him.

He looked up toward her again and chose his words carefully, a directness to his stare that made her blush intensify all the more, "Petra…you're worth the trouble. You understand that, right?"

Petra didn't know what to say, which worked in the Captain's favor, because as Petra's eyes widened, her green orbs catching the light and drawing the breath right out of him – he realized that he himself didn't know what to say either.

…

* * *

…

The next few days had passed by, not exactly _easily_, but at the very least predictably, as they each fell into their respective routines.

After countless rounds of arguments in the morning, Levi would head off to the Garrison to train and chip away at his hours, her father would disappear into his workshop, and Petra would stay at the house and wait for the Captain's return, in hopes to squeeze in an hour or two of training before the sun went down. Levi had been_ trying_ to train her, but it had been difficult because his hours were still unfulfilled at the Garrison and as expected, he was getting caught up in meetings and various tasks that kept him at the Outpost rather late into the day. By the time he returned back to the house, more often than not it would simply be too _late_ for training because it was already time for dinner and they were waiting on him to start eating.

Petra would try to be gracious after yet another day of missed training; she'd say that it wasn't a big deal and that maybe they'd have better luck tomorrow, but regardless her words, the disappointment on her face was palpable because they had _both_ thought her rehabilitation would look a little different. Levi admittedly felt guilty, but there wasn't much he could do other than try to clear out his hours as quickly as possible so his hands would be a little less tied in the days to come.

As for Petra, she was trying to keep a good attitude and not go outright stir crazy from sheer boredom, but there really wasn't much for her to do at the house. She'd insist on cooking breakfast in the mornings, she'd clean up the dishes, and then she'd be back at square one with nothing to do for hours at a time. She'd eventually find some new dress to wear and try to make herself presentable, considering she had the_ time _to fuss about her appearance now. She'd do her hair, wear a bracelet or a necklace, and she had even worn heels once, just because. Levi had been surprised, asked her what the occasion was, and Petra had merely shrugged and admitted that she was just out of things to do during the day.

More than trying to look nice or impress Levi with her girlish outfits, she was trying to save her packed clothes for when she needed them most, because Levi hadn't complained about her using his clothes, but considering he had packed them with himself in mind and _not_ her, she didn't want to just lay claim to whatever was in his suitcase and tried hard to be frugal with the clothes she had left at home.

Regardless her attempts to clean herself up, how she had all but taken over the chores and cooking duties entirely, her father still had found some sort of complaint for her at every turn. Of course, the two of them had certainly had their good moments and more than a few shared laughs - her father and her had a deep relationship so there were frequently a number of good conversations and moments of joy throughout the day, but there were also very hard moments that made Petra teeter from frustration, to despair, to outright confusion because they had been at it for days and it seemed she had made virtually no progress with her father, no matter what angle she tried to approach things from.

In the rare moments that she _was_ able to train, be it from Levi in person, or from material that he had left behind for her - that also seemed to be_ just_ as fruitless with each passing day; something that frustrated Petra to no end. She knew Levi was trying; he was diligent and focused, professional and calculating and able to find new exercises and routines that would still challenge her, but even _with_ those adjustments, she _still _struggled to complete the simple exercises without immense difficulty. Levi would tell her it was normal, that injuries were tricky and it wasn't always a graceful transition, but it frustrated her just the same and she was embarrassed by her slow progress because it seemed even Levi had expected more results than what her body had been willing to produce.

Her ankle still protested at every turn, and she frequently ended the day by limping back to the house, which only sparked further arguments to wage between Petra, her father, and the extremely irritated Captain who was completely fed up with her father's incessant nitpicking. Regardless the Captain's frequently tested patience, more often than not he still chose to bite his tongue because he was trying his damndest to be respectful and maybe_ somehow_ make a good impression on the older man, but night after night the two men only continued to butt heads just the same and Levi was getting tired of having to pull his punches.

The trio would fight during every meal, rehash the same miserable points that yes they were married, no they weren't going to agree, yes Levi was aware that he was not liked, and someone would bitterly clean up from dinner – usually Petra – and they'd go to bed with bitter grumbles and scathing glares.

Unfortunately, as though the days weren't bad enough, the nights weren't any easier.

Sometimes Petra would sleep, and sometimes her nightmares would have her up for hours; unable to sleep at all because of the visions that haunted her. Levi would try to soothe her, would tighten his grip around her and allow her to bury her head into his neck as her tears fell across his skin, but even still her small body would tremble for hours and her sheer unease would keep them both up late into the night, regardless her claims that she was fine and he should just fall back asleep.

He never did.

As for Levi, his own dreams continued to plague him just as relentlessly, but in a different sense entirely, and the mornings were just as brutal because to have Petra in his arms night after night and do absolutely _nothing _about it was infuriating. He'd try to train himself to exhaustion, would run himself through the Garrison's training grounds until his limbs were shaking in hopes that he'd be too tired to fall victim to his own mind games, and yet his subconscious would still find a way to torture him with all that he couldn't have. He'd wake up in agonizing discomfort, sweating and gasping from the sheer force of his body's desperate pleas for gratification and he'd barely bite back a low growl because fuck, this entire situation just wasn't fucking _fair_.

He'd force himself to take a few breaths, uncurl his body away from Petra's in attempts to not wake her up, and he'd go about his day, knowing full well that it would just be another long and arduous day, like the day before, and the day to come.

Yes, the days_ had_ passed by, not _easily_, but miserably and fitfully, and Levi knew it wouldn't be long until one of them, or perhaps all three of them, collectively snapped.

…

* * *

End of Chapter

* * *

...

Man, I legit couldn't tell you why I love this chapter so much. It's not like my top 10 per say, but its one I've found myself coming back to time and time again and legit, I really couldn't tell you why. None the less, I will wrap it up for this week because I'm on a super tight time table and so I've got to get this posted and get out the door.

Thanks for everything guys, and see you next week!

~Mid


	68. The One During Training

Morning yall, and happy Sunday!

It is a lovely day here, and while I'm not quite sure what all I may do, you know – carpe diem and the like! Man, this story yall, I'll talk more about it at the bottom for those who actually like to read my thoughts (but no stress if you don't lol, I talk a lot!) but yall are seriously cracking me up with your comments because it's been a while since I had some true character to character conflict, and I forgot just how sassy yall are! I LIVE for it, and I hope that you continue to stick around to see our characters through some of the…not exactly fun interactions they are experiencing right now.

Anywho, thanks for everything yall!

…

* * *

...

"So, when's your Captain getting back?" Timmy asked, sitting out against the back of the house as he casually turned a page in his book, and from the middle of the yard, Petra made a few quick jabs forward with her fist, moving through a small conditioning routine that Levi had left behind for her. She was trying to stay focused, she really was, but Timmy's constant need for conversation was making it admittedly difficult, and she tried not to sigh.

She kept her face of determination, as though staring down an invisible target in front of her, and she gave a few more jabs as she spoke, "Soon." She leaned to one side and kicked outward, "He's got a specific number of hours that he's contracted to fill and I know he said that he should hit that number today. Considering he's been out there since dawn, I don't doubt that he's probably met that quota by now, so I'm guessing he'll be here within the hour. He promised that he'd make time for my training today, he swore it, and Captain doesn't break his promises. He'll be here."

Timmy looked up from his book with a concerned expression, raising a single blonde eyebrow as he spoke, "Wait, you're planning on training tonight? Didn't…your dad tell you?"

Petra paused, standing up from the ground more completely, and she looked toward her friend in confusion, "Uh, well, I don't know considering that's kind of vague. Did Dad say something to you that I should apparently know about?"

Timmy closed his book with a sigh and gave an amused nod, "Well yeah; that we're all going out to dinner tonight – I thought that's why you were getting your training out of the way sooner rather than later, you know, so you could have the night free. Maybe you weren't aware, but your dad's been working with me to furnish the new place, and he's got a few pieces that he wants to drop off tonight. I mean, sure it's good seeing you and everything Pet, but that's the real reason I'm here right now. I thought your old man could use a hand moving everything around and getting it all loaded up. He said that since we're all together anyway, we should just go out for dinner so no one has to worry about cooking and the dishes and all that."

Petra smiled at her friends knowing and smug stare, because perhaps some part of her _had_ been thinking that Timmy had wandered his way onto their property just to say hi, and she gave a dramatic sigh, "You know Timmy, it hardly seems fair that my Dad remembers to tell _you_ these things, and not me._ I'm_ his daughter, remember that?"

Timmy gave a small chuckle, "Nah, you're just thinking about it too much is all. Kinda like your Captain pointed out, I've actually been out here a lot lately, even before you came back. Considering your Dad's the one that's been making all my cabinets and dressers - since, what, early spring now? - I'm here at least once or twice a week discussing ideas, pricing, delivery and set up – he's giving me a substantial discount and as you know, his work is high quality. It's been a good relationship thus far, and it's really taken the pressure out of being a first-time homeowner."

Petra looked toward her father's workshop and gave a small smile, "No, I didn't know that at all. That's usually something Dad would tell me about in his letters, but he hasn't written me for so long now that those day to day details are completely lost on me. Even still, Dad's pretty great, you know, when he's not fighting or pissed off with me. Which as of late…is pretty much never."

At Petra's disappointed sigh, Timmy's expression sobered in a similar fashion and he watched her purposefully, "I've been meaning to ask that myself Pet, now that your Captain isn't around I mean. Uh, sorry if it's not my place but…why did you do it, you know, get married out of the blue like that? With your dad, I know you're seeing the anger side of things from him but…" her friend paused as he looked across the yard with a faraway stare, "He _really_ thought you were coming home; it's all he talked about for months. And whenever he got word that you got married or whatever, Pet…I know he tried to hide it from me, but he was a broken man. It really messed him up."

Petra frowned at her friend's words, feeling an onslaught of guilt because she had expected as much, and Timmy paused, "And Pet…don't tell him I said this, because I think it would only upset him, but part of the reason I made a point to be around so much was just because it was clear that he _needed _it. He needs the orders, needs the distractions – he's pretty well convinced that you're going to die in the Scouts any day, and after already losing his wife, I think it's just tearing him apart."

Again Timmy paused, moving up from the ground and taking a few steps toward Petra with that same concerned expression across his face, "I mean, some part of me knows the military has done you good Pet. You're so confident now, and so strong. I know that you've worked really hard to make a career out of it but…you've done your time, you know? What's so bad about coming back here, settling down and just enjoying your life a little? I mean, I know it's a small town, but it's home to both of us. Once your contract ends, if you and this guy aren't all that serious, couldn't you just move back home and start over? I'm _worried_ for you, Pet. Everyone is. People still ask about you, and still talk about you in hopes that somehow you'll be able to walk out – while you've still got legs to walk out with."

A long silence passed between them, and Petra gave a low exhale, "You've always been such a grounded guy, Timmy; I admire that about you. Looking back, you always were able to talk me down or get me to think about something in a different light – a true friend in that regard - but…this just _isn't _one of those times. I don't want to fight with you, or anyone else about it, but for real. I'm _happy_ in the military – so much so that I won't let you or anyone else try to talk me out of it. Now granted, if things change after my contract ends, then…"

Petra trailed off in sudden thought, and Timmy watched her with an expectant stare, "Then…?"

When Petra didn't respond, Timmy gave a sigh, "I mean, you'd have to come back home, right? At least that's what I'd assume. Where else_ could_ you go? If you aren't doing the military lifestyle, well, that Levi guy is pretty well cemented into his role, so it's not exactly like you could stay with him. I know that's a few years off so it's all just theoretical, but still. Just think about it because it'll be a reality sooner rather than later. The military can't last forever, and your dad, your hometown will _still_ be here for you, and _your_ life will keep pressing forward – but that guy…he can't slow down, for _anyone_ Pet, and you know that."

Petra's voice was a mere whisper, "…I know."

Timmy gave a chuckle at her crest fallen expression and he stood up from the ground with a sigh, "Hey, I'm not trying to get you down or anything – you just…well, you gotta look out for number one a little bit more. Now, you said you're supposed to be training, right? Anything I can help you with?"

Petra blinked at his question, surprised when Timmy slipped off the vest he had been wearing and set it on a bundle of wood, undoing a single button of his dress shirt as he walked toward her with a sudden smile, "I won't try to pretend that I know what I'm doing, but with how serious you take all this, I'll admit I'm curious."

Petra tried to hold back a chuckle as her friend stood in front of her, holding up his fists and giving his shoulders a single roll in preparation, and Petra snorted at the sight, "Well first off, get your thumb out of your fist, you idiot. That's a quick way to break your bones."

As Petra reached toward him, preparing to uncoil his hand to correct him before he injured himself, Timmy gave a smirk and suddenly grabbed her wrist tightly, pulling her to one side in a fluid and practiced motion as he carefully pulled her arm behind her, not enough to actually hurt, and Petra's mouth dropped open in surprise, laughing outright because it seemed Timmy knew more than he had previously let on, "Oh-ho, looks like someone's got moves, Timmy! When did you learn how to fight?"

There was a pleased laugh from behind her, "College. The guys would drink and get pretty rowdy, start sparring and taking bets, and _maybe_ I learned how to hold my own because it was a nice way to get some pocket money. Turns out no one wants to bet on the bookworm."

Petra nodded, admittedly impressed and she shifted her legs beneath her, "That was actually…_not _a bad move. But…" she bent to the ground, low enough that it put her friend's wrist in an uncomfortably tight angle, and with a single quick shuffle to the side, the man let her go with a hiss. Petra stood up proudly, crossing her arms and watching him smugly with a taunting leer as he rubbed his wrist with a pout, "You'll have to try harder than that if you want to pin me. You may have learned a trick or two in college, but I've been trained personally by Humanity's Strongest. You don't stand a chance."

Timmy merely grinned all the more and dared to jab a single fist toward her, to which she rolled her eyes and leaned to one side at the last moment. He chuckled at her fluid movement, "Oh I don't doubt it Pet, but still…indulge me. You make such a big deal out of your training; I just want to see if it's all it's cracked up to be. It'll help pass the time, you know, just until your Captain gets back."

Petra dodged again, and she couldn't fight the grin pulling at her lips, "Timmy, I'm trying to be serious right now. Levi is…Captain takes these things seriously, and so do I, so I need to get back to my routines or-" Again she had to dodge, and as Timmy continued moving around her, baiting her and attempting to grab or pull her, Petra gave a laugh, "Timmy, you punk! Just…let me train!"

The seriousness of her words had been minimized outright by her sudden giggles, because Timmy's stance, his determined expression as he continued swatting at her was just too much, and once she gave a hearty laugh, Timmy had lunged at her outright in attempts to seemingly…tackle her?

Petra had been admittedly surprised by his sudden approach, but only for a moment. She gave him a flat stare and merely stuck her foot out, laughing at once as Timmy rather ingloriously tripped and fell to the ground. As he fell however, he managed to grab her arm and pull her down with him, and Petra could only squeak in surprise as she was forcibly pulled to the ground in a heap.

Timmy had pressed her downward across the grass, gently and being mindful of her leg, and Petra had given a determined exhale and flipped them with the remaining momentum from the fall. In a flash of movement, she was resting out on his stomach with a hand at his throat. She stared down at him with a smug expression, because even if it had come far too easily, the sparring match had ended in her success, and she gave a haughty smirk as she gripped his neck intentionally, "And that's a point for me, Timmy. Normally I'd have a blade in hand, and that would be the end of that."

Timmy laughed from beneath her and merely gave an aloof shrug, "Well normally I wouldn't hold back so much, but you're injured, so I was hesitant to bring out my A game."

Petra leaned forward toward him, giving him a challenging smile as she released her hand and merely crossed her arms over her chest, "Yeah? Well _normally_ I'd be a lot stronger too, but with the fact my ankle is still so finicky, I _also _had to hold back."

Suddenly there was a new voice, low and deep, sounding off from behind them and causing them both to jolt in surprise, "And _normally_ I don't see you fucking around with your routines just because I'm not standing over your shoulder to forcibly babysit you and keep you on task. _Normally_, I see you acting with a bit more _discipline_, Petra. The fuck are you even doing right now? Sparring with an untrained civilian, when I intentionally left you material that I _expected _you to complete? You shitting me right now?"

Petra gasped in surprise, looking up from Timmy and seeing Levi standing a few feet away, pulling his horse by the reins as he prepared to put the horse back in the stable. His stare on her was one of wide eyes as he looked over her present position – sitting out on Timmy and laughing like an idiot – and her expression sobered outright.

Apparently, Levi had gotten back, and while she wasn't sure if it was the arguments that had happened over breakfast, if something had happened at the Garrison, or if he was legitimately_ that_ upset with her specifically, but it was obvious Levi was in a rather foul mood.

She shook her head and shot him an apologetic nod, "Uh sorry Captain, I uh-"

"It's my fault." Timmy shifted from beneath her, and Petra moved her leg off from around him. He pushed off the ground softly, pulling up Petra in the next moment and nodding toward Levi seriously, who's eyes narrowed all the more at the display as the blonde sighed and gently pulled a leaf out of her amber hair. Timmy looked back toward the shorter male with an equally serious expression and explained further, "She said she had to train, but I wouldn't let her. Sorry, I just…I know tensions are high, so I thought I might try to help lighten the mood."

Levi listened to the man's words, then shot Petra a long stare, speaking more to her than the irritating blonde, "Just see that it doesn't happen again. Let me put my horse away, and we'll get started. You, leave her alone." Levi addressed the blonde with a serious stare, and then his attention moved back to Petra, "And _you. _Back to your routines, now. I haven't had that much time to train you, and now that I'm here, you're just goofing off. If you want_ me_ to take this seriously, then you better show me how serious you are in return and not waste my time."

Petra's mouth fell open, and she gave a slight nod, "Uh, right. About training – I'm sorry Captain because I didn't even know this until just a moment ago, but apparently Dad made plans for everyone. We've got some stuff to deliver to Timmy's house, things my father made apparently, and then we're all going out for dinner. We're not really going to have time to train today. I'm…sorry."

Levi watched her for a long moment and gave a silent, seething nod as he walked away toward the stable without another word; his silence somehow being even worse than his previous correction, and Petra frowned outright as she watched him walk away.

Well…that hadn't gone well.

Seeing this exchange, Timmy gave a sigh and nudged her with his shoulder, "Hey, I'm sorry Pet. Didn't mean to get you in trouble."

She gave a weary shake of her head, still watching the Captain as he moved into the stable, "No, it's alright. He's a little touchy about training, and I knew that. I guess I should have been a bit more firm but, maybe some part of me_ wanted_ the fun, even knowing it might upset Captain. It's just…" she gave a sad smile and shrugged, "It's been a hard week so far, you know? The talks I'm having with Dad aren't going great, Levi meeting Dad isn't going that great; we've _all _been fighting nonstop, and I just…it's all a bit much."

She gave an exhausted sigh and shook her head, "Thanks though, for not making it worse I guess. You've been a bit of a pain, but even still, it's nice that at least one person isn't mad at me right now. It helps."

Timmy gave a light shrug and gave a quiet laugh, "It's nothing, Pet. You'll get through it, and it'll work out in the end. It really will, you'll see."

She gave an unconvinced, polite smile, because she knew he was right – logically speaking time would keep marching on and she'd eventually find herself heading back toward the military base – but in the moment, it certainly didn't feel like it. She was emotionally drained, physically exhausted and fatigued, because even though her exercises for rehabilitation were simple in nature, it caused her body to ache and protest because she was still weak and still healing in more ways than one.

The fact her father was upset with her was one thing, but the fact that Levi was gone for most of the day – he'd be awake for a mere twenty or so minutes, grab breakfast and a cup of coffee and he'd be at the Garrison all day before coming back for dinner – it made it so she was back home, practically alone from sunup to sundown.

When her dad came in for a lunch break, he'd talk, they'd argue, he'd find something to complain about – the coffee was too dark, she wasn't listening to him, she wasn't being grateful, she was too stubborn, her mother would have never done such a thing – and then she'd be alone again.

Now to make matters worse, Levi was unhappy with her too. She wasn't progressing that much – wasn't taking her training seriously enough – and apparently he felt that she was all but intentionally wasting his time. Something about his words had admittedly pricked her, because even though she knew full well it wasn't what he had meant, some part of her couldn't help but feel he was saying that she,_ personally_, was a waste of his time.

When Levi walked back from the stable, Petra struggled to meet his gaze, and she rather looked into the ground nervously, falling silent because she simply didn't know what to say.

Not two minutes later, her father came out of his workshop, and there was a large smile on his face, seeing the group standing outside as though waiting for him, "Oh hey! Sorry didn't mean to keep everyone waiting, I was just getting everything moved to the front to be loaded up and-"

The man paused as he walked across the yard, his expression turning serious as his gaze fell onto Petra specifically, "Baby girl, is that what you're wearing? I would have thought that you'd be ready by now."

Petra looked down at herself, noting that she was perhaps a little on the unkempt side. Her hair was wild and frizzy from her previous training, she was wearing the Captain's clothes again because she had done their laundry and it was still drying, and - something she was certain only added to the Captain's bad mood - there were a few patches of dirt and grass stains that marked her from head to toe.

She gave a shrug, "Oh sorry Dad, I was out here training and-"

From her left, there was a scoff from Levi, "Yeah, sure you were."

From her right, her father groaned, "Really Princess? Training _again?_ You know how I feel about this Baby. You are taking this whole thing _way_ too seriously. You broke your ankle, you limp back into the house day after day, and now you're out here again when you should have been getting ready. Seriously Baby, just look at you! You're wearing men's clothes, you've got dirt on your face and your hair pulled back so tight like that – Petra, you look like a _boy._"

Petra's mouth fell open at her father's words, and he held up a hand in warning, "Not a word, Baby. I want you to get back to the house and get cleaned up, _properly._ We'll be out here loading up the wagon, and when you come back out, I expect you to look like the young lady I raised you to be, understand? I didn't raise a dirty faced mongrel, so you better not embarrass me by looking like it. Go get cleaned up."

Petra gave a single, obedient nod of her head, pressing her lips together as she turned back toward the house, "Right. Yes, sir…"

As her father watched Petra walk away, he shook his head and gave a low sigh, "That girl…" He turned back toward the workshop, still mumbling lowly to himself as he walked away. After witnessing the verbal beating she had just been given, Levi looked over his shoulder toward where Petra was retreating even now, admittedly concerned because…_that _had been a rather uncalled for speech by her asshat of a Dad.

Sure, she had been a mess, but…a very appealing mess. _His_ very appealing mess. He had only just slightly seen her from the front of the house as he walked down the road; seen her arrogant smile and the pop to her coiled hips. She had been wearing _his _clothes again, she was flushed and panting from the exercise she had been trying to complete, and he found a certain anticipation building in his gut as he moved off his horse and walked around the house toward her. Yes, to her father's point she was_ so_ fucking undone, absolutely debauched from head to toe, and gods if he didn't _love_ it.

He had wanted to press her up against the side of the house, tell her_ exactly_ what it did to him to see her with those wild green eyes and sweat slicked skin – whisper in her ear that she had probably ruined his clothes and so he wanted them back, right now, and he'd strip her down to her underwear because the closest house was some three miles away, so what did it even matter, right? They'd have a few hours until her Dad came back in for dinner, so even if it wasn't the most ideal of circumstances, gods he was willing to take things just as far as she'd let him. He'd kiss her neck and taste the salt on her skin, tell her she needed a shower and drag her into the bathroom and conveniently not leave once she turned the water on. He'd back her into the shower step for step and follow in behind her, hold a hand over her mouth so her Dad wouldn't get too suspicious and -

And then - then Levi had _really_ seen her, laughing and straddling _another man_ \- her stupid, useless Timmy who was hanging around for Maria only knows what fucking reason - and that had been enough for his ideas to go up in smoke.

He had been angry, upset, jealous outright because like her father had once pointed out, the blonde seemed to have the uncanny ability to make her laugh. That was a skill he himself lacked, because while he seemed to have made Petra laugh _at_ him more than once, he wasn't exactly known for his sense of humor and the fact she was just so damn familiar with the so-called friend, so quick to smile at him, quick to laugh at his jokes and quick to give him all her attention, admittedly made Levi more than a little on edge because he had never had to _compete_ for her attention before – he always just _got_ it, without ever even trying. Now here this long lost friend came out of nowhere, and he'd watch her eyes lite up every time because as much as the man infuriated him, it was clear that Petra was rather fond of him.

Somewhat lost in his thoughts, Levi almost jolted when her father called out from somewhere in the middle of the yard, "Tim, Ackerman – let's put those muscles to good use. I've got a cart around back and if we all work together, it shouldn't take that much time. Help an old man out, will ya?"

As though sensing Levi's sudden inner turmoil when he didn't immediately turn to help out her father, the blonde gave a low sigh and gave Levi a light, single pat on the shoulder, speaking softly as he did so, "You know man, I get that I don't know you all that well and I get that we're not gonna be best buds, but like it or not, I _do_ know Petra. Sometimes…she just really needs a laugh. And this…this is one of those times. Ease up a little, because it's not_ my_ smile that she wants to see right now, and honestly…it's not her Dad's either. Maybe you should think about that the next time you get onto her for trying to relax during her vacation."

Levi gave the man an all-out glare, his voice low as he spoke in warning, "Fuck are you trying to say, Timmy? Spit it out."

The blonde rolled his eyes, "It's Timothy, and I'm saying that unlike you, Petra _doesn't_ have an escape for when it gets rough, and your chipper little attitude hits her harder than you seem to think. Now come on, James doesn't ask for help all that often so you better not miss your chance and give him a hand."

Timmy was already walking away without another word, and Levi found his dislike for the man, miraculously growing all the more. Much to his sheer annoyance, Levi couldn't deny that the well dressed, arrogant fucker was...unfortunately right on all counts.

…

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End of Chapter

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...

Okay, so yet another difficult chapter with more struggles and arguments and ugly words. I really hope that this story has not crossed the line into something I never meant it to be regarding her father and what is and isn't acceptable regarding relationships. This arc, as yall have well figured out by now, is honestly the pinnacle of the major conflict of this story – facing her Dad after directly defying his wishes and while not_ intentionally_ rubbing it in his face that she won out in the end, still doing that very thing none the less. Considering her father seems to be the type of person that buys into the mentality that the end justifies the means, in this plot I can't help but see that these initial interactions will be rough and full of struggle as there is an ever waging power struggle between Petra and her father, Levi and James, as well as Levi and Petra, as Petra struggles with her guilt and Levi struggles with just…keeping his cool.

Like yall have stated many times, his frustration does NOT justify his words and actions, and as always, I love when you guys keep to your guns and allow yourself to be made perhaps…uncomfortable by the situation? It wasn't meant to be sunshine and rainbows, and eighty chapters of that would surely get old fast.

In addition, I want to clarify that this is not the last arc. I personally am /writing/ out the last arc right now, and yall know that I'm a good chunk of material ahead of yall. At this point, I'm thinking this story will be about 90 chapters in total. Give or take, but that is a pretty solid estimate considering I'm writing out the last puzzle pieces now.

Either way, we are getting there, one step at a time, and hopefully yall can somewhat trust me as an author in that I'm not going to drop the ball at the last moment. I got this, and I think yall will like the outcome :)


	69. There One Where She Doesn't Smile

Morning readers!

Happy Sunday! May I just say that…it's hard to per say pick favorites, but last week yall really blew me away with your thoughts. It's times like this where I just wish I could information dump and lay it all out at once, but you know the drill haha – I'm still writing and need that time in my favor to make sure I never have to turn to sporadic, unpredictable updates.

Either way guys, as always I'm just so happy to be bringing you content that you can enjoy being invested in. It's been by FAR my biggest writing project, and its crazy to me that we really are in the final stages of the story – at least with what I'm writing on my end.

Thank you a million times over, and enjoy the read!

…

* * *

…

When they had finished loading up the cart with the various pieces Petra's father had completed, the trio had moved back into the kitchen, waiting for some time for Petra to finish getting ready.

Luckily, the waiting hadn't been so bad, all things considered, because Timmy and Petra's father had been so busy talking to each other about recent projects, where the furniture was going to be placed, how to best care for the wood over the years, that they hardly seemed to notice Levi's presence at all and paid him no mind.

When Petra walked out of the hallway, still putting in her earrings as she moved in a hurried fashion, her father looked up toward her and smiled, "See, now_ there's _my baby girl. You've got your hair up, a dress, heels even – you look nice Baby, real nice."

As Petra gave a tired smile, her father took a closer look at her as she walked toward the table and clicked his tongue in sudden disapproval, "Granted, you're showing a little more skin at the top than I'd like, but hey, I suppose you're just trying to impress your_ Captain_ so-"

Petra's smile had fallen at once and she missed Levi's exasperated scoff completely. She all but crossed her arms as she glared at her father impatiently, "You know Dad, if you want to go in my closet and find me something that's more suited to your tastes, then be my guest. But I warn you that almost all of my clothes here are super small on me so this was the best I could do. Honestly if it's that distracting, then you boys will just have to keep your eyes to yourselves because it's too hot outside to wear a jacket."

"Well you know Pet, I think you look really nice. A true lady." Timmy stated with a light smile as they all began shuffling toward the door, and Petra gave a smile of her own and rolled her eyes, giving her friend a playful slap on the shoulder as they walked out.

"Timmy, you're just saying that because you have to. Remember, Dad already said that he likes you, so you don't have to keep sucking up to him like this. Now if you could only tell _me_ your secret – I'm still trying to get access to that club myself."

Her father gave an amused chortle and ruffled the top of her head, to which Petra gave a slight gasp before swatting him away, already patting down her hair and staring at him narrowly, "Hey hey, you break it, you buy it! Took me fifteen minutes to do my hair so keep your paws off."

From beside her, there was a laugh from Timmy and he crossed his arms with a pleased sigh, "Man, this brings back memories, huh? It's been so long since we all went out like this – I'm curious as to what you're planning James. Are we going out to Sammy's place?"

"Oh Sammy's?" Petra chimed in, turning toward her father in obvious enthusiasm, "It's been_ ages_ since I've been there! They're still open? I kinda thought Sammy and his wife would have retired by now."

"Oh yeah, they retired some time ago now." Her father opened the front door and gave a smile, adjusting his previous statement with a sly grin, "Somewhat at least. Sam still likes to man the grill, and Lucy still waits tables every Thursday. Tabitha, their oldest, is the one who actually keeps the place running nowadays. You remember her right Baby, few years older than you? She's a good gal and does her parents proud. I guess it wouldn't be a bad idea, stopping in and saying hello. I'm sure they'd appreciate seeing you, Princess."

"Yeah, it'll be good to see them. Should be fun."

As the group continued conversing, Levi followed behind them in perfect silence, closing the front door behind him as he walked – still mentally debating with himself if he should say something or not regarding Petra's change of wardrobe.

She did look nice – elegant and refined – perfectly beautiful and serene. Her hair was pinned up, she was wearing a few pieces of simple jewelry that caught the light, a pair of heels that weren't as flashy as what she had worn to the Officer's Banquet, but still looked quite nice on her just the same. Her dress was one with a light floral pattern that went just below her knees, and there was an emerald green sort of sash that tied at the middle, to emphasize her thin waist.

She really _did_ look good, there was no denying it.

The only problem was, Levi didn't want to compliment her and unintentionally reinforce everything her father had said to her earlier - that she was showing off her body to attract him (even though her outfit _was_ doing that very thing) that she had to be put together in order to be 'presentable' to the public eye, where anything less than a dress and styled hair was apparently shameful, and that in her attempts to be strong and train her body, she had lost her femininity outright and was far more masculine than a girl ought to be.

Levi wasn't sure what the right approach was, because he did not share her father's values in the slightest, and so he merely remained silent in his prolonged mental debate. Petra looked nice, yes, but he had wanted her before too, while she looked so apparently 'unappealing' because to him, fuck, to _many _men, her strength was attractive. Her willpower was something that allured him, and the fire to her eyes and the smirk on her full lips was…

He found himself holding back a sigh. Maybe he really should say something because it was just a simple compliment – she wouldn't read into it that much, right? He himself was probably overthinking it so-

"Dad are you…are you serious?" came Petra's irritated voice the second they had walked out of the house, and Levi had blinked out of his thoughts, looking toward the sudden commotion and watching as Petra crossed her arms and gave her father yet another dirty look. "Getting dressed up is one thing, but now you're taking this a bit far. I'm not an invalid!"

Out front, her father had the cart prepared, as well as the horses – everyone's except Petra's – and she had read the writing on the wall well enough to know that she was expected to sit at the front of the cart.

"Well, you_ are_ in a dress Pet. It really wouldn't be proper for you to-"

"Oh shove it, Timmy. I can ride just fine because this dress is plenty long enough, you guys are being silly!" she hissed out bitterly, and her father gave a sigh.

"Baby, no one is looking down on you here."

"_You're _looking down on me!" she retorted hotly, and her father turned toward her irritably.

"Look, I don't see why you are being so difficult about this. Like Timmy said, you're in a dress. It's not _practical _for you to ride your horse right now, and we intentionally left space for you in the cart out of _respect_. How about instead of being so uptight about everything, you act a bit more like a lady, shut your mouth, and just get in?"

"There's an option, _or_, how about you stop assuming that I'm a thirteen-year-old girl and acknowledge the fact that I've grown up!"

Levi found himself giving a sigh, knowing that no good could come out of this argument because the tensions were high between all of them, at a boiling point no doubt, but over something like this – perhaps he should be the last one to stand in her way, but his gut told him that it just wasn't the time. He walked behind Petra and pulled on her shoulder lightly, his voice hushed as he addressed her specifically, "Petra, maybe you should do as he says this time around."

"See? Even Ackerman agrees with me on this one Baby. It's not proper."

When Petra turned toward him, her eyes were wide with betrayal and she gave an indignant shake of her head as she watched him in disbelief, "Captain, what? You're really taking his side on this? You of all people know that-"

Levi gave her a serious stare as he cut her off with a still hushed voice, "Petra, just because I _can_ break a table in half with my fist doesn't mean I need to go around smashing every table I see. There's a time for these things and-"

"And so you're saying I should just act weak all the time because it's more fitting for someone like me? Captain, you-"

"Don't put words in my mouth, Petra. I'm _saying_ you should look at the bigger picture and pick your battles more intentionally, nothing more. This is a time where you came home to make peace with your Dad, right?" Levi watched her with a miffed expression, his voice an irritated whisper as he leaned toward her all the more because he was trying to have a somewhat private conversation with her. He nodded toward her purposefully, "So make peace with him. Sit in the damn cart and make him happy. Fuck, if it makes you feel better then I'll even sit in there with you because it's just a matter of pride. Pull your punches for when you _need _to win. Frankly Petra, this _isn't _one of those times."

Petra watched Levi for a long moment, and she gave a single, forced nod.

"Fine, sir."

He knew that tone – it was the one she used when she disagreed with him, but would do as he said strictly out of respect for his authority. He bit back a low grumble, because that wasn't what he was going for, but Petra was already climbing up over the edge of the wagon and there was nothing he could do but turn back toward his horse and hope that the evening passed quickly.

Of course, it hadn't.

Far from it, in fact.

When they got to Timmy's house, Petra had moved to grab one of the stools that had been stacked up with the furniture, but her father had scolded her at once because moving the furniture was _man's_ work, and she didn't want to mess up her hair after all, right?

Levi had felt his stomach clench in growing concern, because instead of Petra blowing up or giving a return argument, she merely gave a quiet, simple nod, and wordlessly moved back into the cart without fuss. For all his years as her Captain, it was…rare for Petra to get so upset that she just _shut down_ completely like that, and considering they were out in public, right in front of her friend and her father, Levi knew full well that there wouldn't be a good opportunity to have a heart to heart with her and force her to rant or blow up or do something other than quietly simmer with anger.

It was a bad sign, _beyond_ a bad sign, and Levi found himself stealing a number of glances toward her as her aura continued to darken with each passing moment. Her anger was palpable as they continued moving the furniture piece by piece as she sat there in quiet rage, but even still, Levi didn't know if there was anything he _could_ do to help her. While he had said a few things that he wished he hadn't, now that the heat of the moment had passed, even still he knew it wasn't himself that Petra was mad at. No, it was clearly her father that had gotten her so wound up, but what was worse, if the man had noticed her irritation, it didn't bother him in the slightest. James had continued on with his night as though he were having a grand time, and the off setting hot and cold dynamic between them was making for a rather tense atmosphere.

It seemed Levi wasn't the only one who was put off by her bad mood, because Timmy had seen her crestfallen expression and after all the furniture had been moved and arranged into his house, the blonde had put his horse back and joined her in the wagon, giving her a small smile in attempts to brighten her mood.

"The more the merrier, right?"

Petra had said nothing, and they had taken off again; Levi on his horse, her father leading the way, and Petra and Timmy sharing the cart as they made their way into town. Levi tried to ignore it when Timmy gave a dramatic groan and threw an arm around her, pulling her against his side and rubbing her arm affectionately, "Don't worry about it, Pet. Let's just go out and have a nice dinner, okay? It's been such a long time; you should at least _try_ to smile."

She didn't.

Dinner came and went, and Levi had to admit it had perhaps been one of the most uncomfortable experiences of his life. There had been little to no conversation, because it was clear Petra was still mentally fuming over the lineup of events that had marked her afternoon, and her father had merely laughed it off – speaking warmly with Timmy or the waitress, confirming that his baby girl was just in a bit of a mood after being told no. Levi had mentally grimaced as Petra merely pressed her lips together and continued eating in silence, because fuck, there was no damned way this was going to end well.

Sometime after they had all eaten, an older woman came to the table with a large and tired smile. She must have been either the old friend her father had been talking about, or someone else in the small town that knew them, because she had fussed repeatedly over seeing Petra, seeing Tim, seeing them all out and about like this and how it really was just like old times. Her father had laughed, saying that it _was_ a rare treat, considering Petra was so bull headed and was still living her life in the military, regardless the fact that he thought she would have retired by now because surely her career wasn't all _that _promising.

Levi had known it was coming, but he _still_ flinched just the same when he heard Petra take an offended gasp and slam her silverware down on the table in irritation. In the next moment, she had absolutely gone _off_ in front of the entire restaurant – there was simply no other word for it.

She explained in a frazzled, furious rush of words, that she was on the top squad in the Scout Regiment, that she was handpicked and hand trained by her Captain, and that her numbers were within the top five percentile of the entire military as a whole, including the military police. She explained that she had a knack for data, and that her new found skill was already being looked into for further use because the other two factions were also interested in her skill, and that she was _proud_ of her accomplishments and_ sick _of him looking down on her, sick of him ridiculing her, sick of him treating her like she was just a little girl, and that she demanded an apology because she was a respected member of the military and had earned the right to his respect. By the end she was all but huffing and puffing, glaring across the table toward her father with a threatening stare that left little room to wonder about the seriousness of her words.

After her long, loud and passionate rant that had literally every patron in the restaurant staring at them in clear horror, her father nodded his head slowly, as though mentally replaying all her words in silent wonder, and after a moment or two of silent reflection, he looked up and watched her seriously.

"Baby, have you thought about becoming an accountant perhaps?"

At that, her father's outright dismissal of all she had said, Petra had laughed, literally_ laughed_, and threw her hands up into the air in surrender as she backed away from the table with a sort of shove, "I'm done! Done. So done. You're _impossible, _Dad, and I'm ashamed of you."

She marched toward the door without so much as a second glance, and Levi, after throwing down a few bills that should have more than covered their table's meal, wasted no time in following after her, ensuring that on his way out, he gave her father a chilling glare because even if it didn't involve him, he couldn't help but feel anger on her behalf because it really did seem like her father went well out of his way to belittle her at every turn, and as her Captain…he had seen enough.

Levi watched as Petra marched past the restaurant and continued barreling right on down the street, still muttering grievances to herself as she stormed away; it seemed that in her enraged state, she wasn't aware that she had been followed out.

Petra hadn't gotten far of course, only a few hundred or so feet by the time that Levi had mounted his horse and made his way toward her. When he came up beside her, the petite ginger had paused in step, clearly surprised by his sudden appearance, and all at once the hardness of her expression seemed to soften under his knowing stare.

As Levi watched her pointedly, not in judgement or irritation after her little outburst, but rather what seemed like true understanding, her bottom lip quivered as her defenses seemed to unwittingly shatter from all around her. She gave a quiet huff and wiped her eyes with a quick swipe of her arm, hesitant to fall apart completely and still stubbornly holding onto whatever pride she had left.

Regardless the fact it was clear she had a million different things to say, Petra remained quiet just the same, and frustratingly so. Levi found that he wanted to know her thoughts, to hear her shout angry words or to do whatever she needed to to address it and move on, but some part of him knew he was being far too dismissive of her feelings, to an extent that it was almost insulting. It wasn't a simple matter that she just needed to 'work out' – the scars she bore were deep and would not be so easily addressed by a mere venting session alone.

To some extent, Levi perhaps understood her choice to be silent because really, what_ was_ there to say? She had chosen the military - a choice her father disagreed with completely - and to make matters more further complicated, Petra still sought after the man's approval at every turn, even though it was asking the impossible of him.

It was a path of guaranteed pain, frustration, and disappointment, and Levi suspected this was not Petra's first miserable walk home, where after fighting for weeks to get enough time off, she'd visit her father and be reminded all at once that her hometown was not a place where she would be understood or encouraged. In a small town of homely civilians, Petra would be on trial at every step, belittled at every turn, and people were all but waiting for her to crack and admit defeat because the military lifestyle was such a far cry from their small town values.

It sounded beyond exhausting, and as Petra gave another sniffle, once again wiping her eyes of unshed tears that were threatening to fall, Levi found himself giving a half smile, perplexed by her strength and her stubborn choice to walk so far off the beaten path. He leaned to one side and held his hand out toward her, motioning with a tilt of his head for her to join him.

A pained expression came to her face at the silent invitation, a certain level of apprehension presented in her posture that was no doubt a result of his previous chidings from the afternoon; a small pang of guilt tightening his stomach, because it seemed that once again he had responded poorly to her. Even still, Levi wasn't off put by her timidness and simply continued to watch her patiently, making a point of not goading her with irritated sighs or taunting words because he wasn't trying to force her – it was a sincere _invitation_, nothing more. She could walk, or she could ride. Hell, if she wanted to take his horse while_ he_ walked beside her step for step, or if she just wanted to ride off alone so she could have even that small freedom, that was fine. He wasn't sure what she wanted at a time like this, he just wanted her to know that he…

He was a friend, and he did not agree with her father, and above all, he had her back.

Slowly, Petra reached toward his hand, her fingertips barely brushing his palm as though still uncertain, and after a few moments, her fingers carefully began to curl around his hand more fully. When she caught his pleased sort of smile, Petra had put more strength into her grip and shifted her weight to put her foot into one of the stirrups, and Levi found a sort of relieved exhale leaving him.

He helped pull her up, shifting forward on the saddle as Petra worked to settle herself behind him, and she spent a moment or two fixing her dress beneath her legs and rear so the fabric wouldn't ride up along the way.

"I wanna go home, Captain." She whispered softly, and she almost mournfully wrapped her arms around his stomach and laid her head against his back in exhaustion, "Just take me home, okay?"

Levi had stolen a glance over his shoulder, but with how close Petra was pressed against him, he could only make out a few pieces of her amber hair, so her expression was lost on him. Had he seen it, the way her brows had once been knit with worry, but then seemed to loosen with a sudden acceptance; had he seen the way a single tear rolled down her face, not from pain, but rather from _relief_, despite the grimness of the situation, even still the Ackerman would have worn a smile for quite some time.

…

* * *

...

When they had gotten back to the house, her father had arrived not twenty minutes later, and the man was already shouting from the moment he entered into the house.

"Petra Marie Ral, how dare you embarrass me in front of everyone like that!"

Her father moved into the living room after furiously slamming the front door closed, and Petra crossed her arms as she retorted hotly, moving up to her feet and matching his sudden volume, "For one, you embarrassed me first, and for two, my last name is _Ackerman_ now. If you're going to use my full name, the least you could do is get it right!"

Her father groaned, "Alright, don't even _start_ with that. All I wanted to do was have a nice dinner out and-"

"And it would have been if you yourself hadn't been such a jerk! Do you have to go out, bad mouthing me to everyone you know? I'm not a screw up Dad, alright? I've got a good head on my shoulders and-"

Her father gave a bark of a laugh, "Right, so says the girl who got married to her own Commanding Officer, because _that's_ a respectable thing to do. Give me a break, Petra! Instead of looking at your options or even _trying_ to see what life might have in store for you, you clutched onto your precious Captain instead. You talk about bravery, discipline, but here's the facts: You're _comfortable_, Baby. You hide behind that man and expect him to fix all your problems, and so when life threw something unexpected your way where you might actually have to rely on your _own_ strength for once, you _buckled_ under pressure and took the easy way out. Right, congratulations 'Mrs. Ackerman'. I'm so proud."

Petra took a mortified breath, a hurt expression coming onto her face as she took a sharp inhale, "Dad. That is…that is _not _true. Levi is…Captain, he…" Again she took another breath and shook her head, and Petra stole a glance toward Levi, because some part of her was admittedly embarrassed that her Captain was hearing such words spoken about her, untrue or otherwise, and Levi merely watched her with a quirked eyebrow, as though silently presenting the question 'What now, Petra?'.

As if all the fire left her at once, Petra gave an exasperated sigh and rubbed her forehead wearily, "Dad, I just don't get it. You wanted me home, so here I am. Deny it all you want, but we both know you would have wanted to meet Levi, so here _he_ is, on a silver platter."

There was a sigh from the Ackerman, "I'm not an offering, woman."

"Of course not Captain, you're far too short."

Levi gave a low sort of grumble and Petra took a breath, "Actually on that note Dad, I feel the need to remind you that Levi's your son in law, and you have been nothing but rude and dismissive of him when he's honestly a stand-up guy, and you _know_ it because anyone less would have been run off by now. He's been here all week and you haven't really tried to talk to him, you only pick fights, and you've been so incredibly selfish and self-centered about this whole thing that I'm actually _embarrassed _for you. And as for everything you've said just now, you're wrong and that's all there is to it. I'm _not_ settling, and I'm not running away or hiding behind Captain to be 'comfortable'. _This_ Dad, this is anything_ but_ comfortable for me, bringing my Captain home when you're acting like this, but I'm here just the same because you matter to me! I know I hurt you, but you hurt me too, and I'm not acting out like you are. Why are you just trying to hold onto the anger and make this all draw out like this? Why can't you just accept me and Levi and move on?"

Her father shook his head, "You had a beautiful life here Princess, and you just walked away. I just want what's best for you, and if your mother were still here then she would say that-"

Petra gave a miserable groan and began pacing the room with short and agitated steps, "Dad, _enough_ about mom already!"

Her father's expression grew more fierce and he pointed at her with a serious glower, "She was a wonderful woman Petra, and you'd do well to follow in her footsteps!"

"Follow in her footsteps, sure, not be her perfect damned-" her father's eyebrow rose, and Petra grimaced, "Uh, _darned_ perfect replica, I mean."

"And there's that mouth again. A real lady wouldn't-"

"That's _enough_, Ral."

It was Levi that spoke, his voice lacking the volume of Petra and her father, yet reverberating with such seriousness and malice that the older man fell silent at once and watched him with obvious surprise. It had been almost a full week that the couple had been staying under his roof now, and while James found that he butted heads with the Captain multiple times a day, it was rare, if ever, that the younger male inserted himself in an argument between himself and his daughter. The fact that he was doing so now, for the first time since they had walked in the door, spoke volumes.

Levi shifted from where he was sitting on the couch and took a breath, "All due respect, but everything you're saying now has already been said, _multiple _times this week, so unless you have some _new _complaints, it may be time for you to count your losses and move on. If I recall, you are planning to start your trip in the morning so you can make your next scheduled product delivery, correct? Perhaps it would be a better use of your energy to prepare for that, instead of wasting everyone's limited time on such pointless conversation matter because it's getting needlessly repetitive."

When the man's green orbs narrowed all the more as he watched the Captain irritably, Levi crossed his arms and returned his glower with an equally displeased frown, "You'd do well to remember that even _if _Petra agreed with you on every front, she's still bound to the military for another three and a half years, so debating where she should or shouldn't be is a moot point because her contract stands just the same."

Her father pursed his lips, clearly displeased by Levi's dismissal of his frustrations and the man looked toward Petra, "See? Just like that, he comes in when the going gets rough and-"

"Because that's my fucking job." Levi cut him off and leaned to one side to grab the man's attention, because it seemed he was once again trying to harass his daughter as though he didn't even have the decency to respond to him directly, "Petra's my subordinate, and you're going to find that I intervene _a lot_ on her behalf – not because she's weak, but simply because I care about her. For the record, I tend to take it personally when someone tries to fuck with one of the members of my squad, and that goes _double_ for her now, seems as she's also my wife on top of it. To be frank Ral, I've had just about all I can stomach of your not so subtle disapproval, as well as the way you talk down to her at every presented opportunity. Learn to hold your tongue, or I _will_ start intervening because I'm sick of your bullshit. She may be your daughter, but she's _my _subordinate, _my_ wife, and _my_ problem. She's no longer tied to your household – her being here at all was a mere courtesy, and you're taking her graciousness for granted."

Levi paused, some part of his mind saying that perhaps he was being unwise and he really should allow these matters to be sorted out between Petra and her father, and yet. He had been acting like the 'nice guy' and stubbornly, bitterly behaved like a disciplined, patient Captain that minded his manners and didn't raise to petty insults or baiting, all for Petra's sake, in hopes to help ease the turmoil in the Ral household, but such an approach…

Well, it hadn't done shit for him and he was tired of sitting passively in the background while his wife's emotions and accomplishments were being battered and abused.

Levi found he wasn't finished and his glare only intensified as he berated the older man, "Explain something to me Ral - for the past five years, I don't recall Petra saying even a single bad comment about you – not one. So how is it that after seeing the clear respect she has for you, it seems that respect is completely one sided, because I've been here for a week and I don't think you've said a single _good_ thing about your daughter this whole time. Frankly, if you thought that poorly of her from the start, then one would think this is just another drop in the bucket and you'd be used to it by now. Your constant nitpicking and backhanded compliments are getting really, _really _fucking old."

Her father all but stammered, "I beg your pardon? You've got a lot of nerve to-"

"No. You've said quite enough for one night, don't you think? _Good night_, James." Levi bit out, a certain threat of warning underlying his tone, and he let out an irritable sigh because fuck, this day really just needed to come to an end.

The man's eyebrows rose for a moment, taken aback that the Captain apparently had the gall to order him around in his own home, but as he considered the alternative; angering the ill-tempered man, staying up until dawn fighting with Petra about what they had already been fighting about for years, he gave a long exhale and nodded in subdued defeat.

"Alright, fine Ackerman. I do have that trip to pack for in the morning, and I suppose there's not much left that needs to be said. I'll leave in the morning, but I'll be back pretty quickly once I make the delivery, so I better not come back to find that you over trained her while I was gone."

The man's attention shifted to Petra and he gave a tense sigh, "Night Baby. I'll see you in the morning."

"Right. Night, Dad."

The man left the room without further delay, and the moment his bedroom door opened and closed, Petra clenched her fists at her side and turned toward the kitchen with a snap. In a surge of thunder, she walked into the room, pausing and giving a huff, then walking back into the living room and doing the same thing in a sort of frazzled, unsatisfied pacing.

She did this a few more times without so much as looking at him or saying a single word, and Levi was almost too unnerved to speak, because he could_ feel_ her sheer displeasure in the air. At one point, she had grabbed a used coffee cup from off the counter, storming back into the kitchen and ranting that nothing got done around here unless she did it and that her father hadn't even thanked her for how well she was caring for the house. It was as she moved to the sink, furiously starting to scrub at the poor cup that Levi exhaled and quietly moved across the room, grabbing her arm with a sigh.

"Alright Petra. Let's go. Outside."

The ginger merely bristled and gave a shake of her head, "No, it's late and you should get to sleep. You'll be at the Garrison in the morning and-"

"Spar with me." Levi said simply, and instantly Petra paused in place at his words.

When he tugged at her arm again, Petra gave a small whisper, "Captain…I thought you said I wasn't ready to spar."

He sighed and nudged her for the third time, and Petra begrudgingly allowed herself to be pulled around to face him directly. Levi gave a small shake of his head, "You're not."

Petra gave a frustrated huff, trying to turn back to the cup so she could continue trying to squeeze it to death, and Levi's grip on her arm tightened as he held her gaze flatly, "Truth is it's a pretty stupid idea and I probably shouldn't let you, but I know you've had a shitty day, and you need to blow off some steam. I get that I was kind of an ass earlier so that didn't help, and I figured this is a way I can try to atone for that. I'm…well, I'm admittedly frustrated. I know you don't need me to tell you this, but this trip isn't exactly going well. Frankly, I'm starting to wonder why the hell you fight so hard to come back here like you do. Not trying to be an ass, but it doesn't seem like you've got much to come back to."

Petra gave a sigh and shook her head miserably, "I do though, Captain, truly – and it kills me that you can't see it because of how poorly my Dad is behaving. He's really smart, thoughtful, decisive – he's got a lot of good traits that I look up to it's just…I guess he and I have never learned how to fight without it turning into something like this. I'm trying to keep it together, because I know I need to do my part to fix it as I'm not blameless in this situation but…"

"You're overextending yourself." Levi finished for her, and Petra sighed, giving a defeated nod and staring into the floor in complete dejection. Levi sorted his thoughts and continued, "You are trying to train on your vacation, which is arbitrary in and of itself but I understand you have goals and I support that. None the less, the results aren't what you thought they would be and that's taking its toll on you. You are trying to make amends with your father, and even though he is behaving horribly toward you, you're still holding back your pride to meet him halfway, and _that_ takes its toll on you. You feel guilt at my expense because of how your father treats me, even though his behavior is his problem alone, yet none the less, that's taking its toll on you as well." Levi almost shook his head at all his wife was attempting to shoulder on her own, and he nudged her again, "You need some fresh air, Petra, and maybe swinging your fists around will help you relax a little. Besides, if you're _going_ to irritate your ankle by stomping around like this anyway, then you may as well own it and do something you actually_ enjoy_ doing in the process of hurting yourself. I mean, hell, we are on vacation, right? Maybe it's time you got to do something a little reckless. The Captain in me doesn't like it, but…as your _husband_, I say fuck it."

Levi took a breath and watched her for a response, finding that he wasn't sure if he was doing it right at all. He had no idea if she just wanted to be left alone, if she wanted to be mad at him personally, if she wanted to rant about all her father had said to her – so when her eyes lit up and she gave a shy nod of her head, a slight smile coming to her face as she watched him, Levi felt a surge of relief and merely pulled her toward the door without a moment's delay.

"Wait, shouldn't we change first?"

"Right, so you can get more of my clothes dirty? I'll pass."

…

* * *

End of Chapter

* * *

...

There we have it for this week's update. I'll keep it short this week and just wish yall a great, productive week! Let me know your thoughts, and I'll see yall at the next update!

~Mid


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